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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. last — final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. last — finally
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. dip — to sink
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — to go on
  24. lie — an untruth

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