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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. land — ground
  4. dip — to sink
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. field — farmland
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. face — to point toward
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. field — a subject
  18. field — for sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. land — to come down
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — part of the head
  24. land — a country

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