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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bat — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — high quality
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bat — for baseball

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