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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — a safe
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lean — thin
  19. cold — an illness
  20. wax — to grow
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lean — to bend

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