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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. pass — a permit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bass — low music
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — a safe
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. wax — to grow
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. bear — the animal

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