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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. prune — to trim
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mate — to breed
  12. shower — rain
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mate — a friend
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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