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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. tear — from crying
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ball — a dance
  6. sharp — clever
  7. ball — a great time
  8. vault — a safe
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. date — the fruit
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — to fit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. suit — clothes
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. toast — bread
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. suit — in cards
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. tear — from crying

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