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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. vault — a safe
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. clip — for paper
  14. scale — in music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — completely
  19. scale — size or range
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lie — to recline

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