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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. row — to paddle
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lie — to recline
  4. row — a line
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. chest — a box
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — soda
  15. rule — government
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chest — of your body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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