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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. squash — the sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. object — a thing
  6. current — of water
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. row — a line
  11. wind — moving air
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. current — electric
  16. wind — moving air
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — to crush
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. row — to paddle
  23. lie — to recline
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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