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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. clip — to cut
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. clip — a video
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bat — the animal
  12. mate — a partner
  13. march — the month
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. clip — for paper
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. march — music
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — clever

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