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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mate — to breed
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — a safe
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — a friend
  12. chair — a leader
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. rest — what's left
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. rash — a series

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