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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mate — a partner
  5. shower — to wash
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mark — a grade
  12. suit — in cards
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. track — to keep track
  15. vault — a safe
  16. track — a path
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wax — to grow
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. track — a song
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — rain
  24. suit — clothes

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