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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wax — to grow
  6. fine — all right
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. spring — the season
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lean — thin
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spring — a coil
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lean — to bend
  18. file — a document
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. file — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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