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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. object — a thing
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to click
  12. roll — a list
  13. stock — goods
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. stock — shares
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wax — to grow
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. object — an aim
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — to protest
  23. roll — a cake
  24. dip — to sink

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