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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — certain
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lie — to recline
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pound — a weight
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bound — tied together
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — a safe
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. prune — to trim
  24. coach — a trainer

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