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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. chest — a box
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. dip — to sink
  21. vault — a safe
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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