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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. scale — in music
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. row — to paddle
  16. scale — size or range
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a great time
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. wax — in the ear

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