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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mark — a grade
  5. tear — from crying
  6. capital — money
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a trace
  9. capital — a city
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. vault — a safe
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tear — from crying
  16. suit — in cards
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. suit — clothes
  20. season — in sport
  21. season — of the year
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. tear — to rip
  24. lie — an untruth

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