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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 116 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. ground — the earth
  6. court — of law
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. last — to go on
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. last — finally
  14. lie — to recline
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. ground — crushed
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. last — final
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. court — for sport
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. ground — a position

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