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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. degree — an amount
  13. drill — army training
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cap — a hat
  17. drill — a practice
  18. row — to paddle
  19. degree — temperature
  20. cap — a lid
  21. degree — from a university
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. drill — the tool

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