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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. pound — a weight
  4. club — for dancing
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. vault — a safe
  9. march — music
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cap — a lid
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lie — to recline
  16. club — a group
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. club — for golf
  24. prune — to trim

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