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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — to breed
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — a position
  8. row — a line
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spell — letters
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ground — crushed

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