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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 116 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. wax — to grow
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rush — hurry
  11. fine — all right
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fine — high quality
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — to eat with

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