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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 120 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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a grade
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. mark — a trace
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to dunk

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