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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 124 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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468
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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. clip — a video
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — a partner
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. mate — a friend
  9. drill — army training
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. drill — the tool
  13. clip — for paper
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wax — to grow
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mate — to breed
  20. vault — a safe
  21. drill — a practice
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. cabinet — ministers

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