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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. march — the month
  3. lie — to recline
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. current — happening now
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a dance
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. march — the month
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. march — music
  19. chest — a box
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. ball — a great time
  22. pit — in a race
  23. chest — of your body
  24. vault — a safe

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