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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. land — ground
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a line
  11. pitch — completely
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. land — to come down
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. vault — a safe
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. land — a country
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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