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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. spring — a coil
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bear — the animal
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bear — the animal
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — music
  23. spring — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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