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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a cake
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bear — the animal
  7. vault — a safe
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — in a race
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pit — a hole
  13. drill — the tool
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cap — of ice
  17. drill — army training
  18. bear — the animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. cap — a hat
  21. lie — to recline
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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