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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  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. game — wild animals
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cap — a hat
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — to sink
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cap — a lid
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. cap — of ice
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pass — a permit
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a match
  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