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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. wax — to grow
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. mug — a face
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mug — a cup
  14. vault — a safe
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. toast — bread
  18. kick — in football
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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