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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — in a race
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — a hole
  9. land — to come down
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. branch — a division
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bore — to drill
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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