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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. lean — thin
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. foot — a measure
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fall — the season
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. lean — to bend
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. fall — to drop
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fall — to drop

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