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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a committee
  8. mark — a grade
  9. suit — to fit
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. vault — a safe
  12. suit — in cards
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. mark — a trace
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. board — to get on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. saw — the tool
  21. squash — the sport
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. board — a flat piece

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