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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bound — obliged
  11. file — a tool
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. fine — high quality
  14. chest — a box
  15. bound — tied together
  16. wax — to grow
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bound — certain
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. fine — all right
  21. chest — of your body
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a line of people

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