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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cap — of ice
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. fork — in a road
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a hat
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — a safe
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spring — the season
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. drill — army training
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — the tool
  24. cap — a lid

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