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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. shower — to wash
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. shower — rain
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. craft — a skill
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. wax — to grow
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. craft — boats
  16. vault — a safe
  17. band — a ring
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. rash — hasty
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. band — a music group
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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