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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. march — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. march — the month
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. lie — to recline
  10. suit — in cards
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — temperature
  13. squash — to crush
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. march — the month
  18. squash — the sport
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a leader
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. degree — an amount
  24. nail — for a hammer

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