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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. club — for dancing
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — a group
  7. lean — to bend
  8. land — a country
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. game — wild animals
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — a safe
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. land — ground
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lean — thin
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. club — for golf

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com