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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wax — to grow
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. vault — a safe
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. bat — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. chip — for betting
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. chip — to eat
  23. rest — a break
  24. bowl — a dish

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