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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. tube — a container
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — a permit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. land — a country
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wax — to grow
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. trunk — of a tree

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