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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — to be able to
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cap — a lid
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — a practice
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a hat
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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