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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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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — in music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. key — the most important part
  14. vault — a safe
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. lean — thin
  18. chest — of your body
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pass — a permit
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — hurry
  24. trunk — of a car

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