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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. row — a line
  4. pass — a permit
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. row — to paddle
  9. lean — thin
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cell — in biology
  24. pass — to spend time

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