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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. can — to be able to
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. roll — a cake
  8. can — a tin
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. file — a tool
  22. can — a tin
  23. lie — to recline
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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