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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chest — of your body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. vault — a safe

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