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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. roll — a list
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. toast — bread
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — child
  23. vault — a safe
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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