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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 124 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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. date — the fruit
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. wax — to grow
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — a subject
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. field — for sport
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — farmland
  19. chip — for betting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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