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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 120 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 turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. fork — in a road
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. game — a match
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. game — wild animals
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mark — a grade
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. clip — a video
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — to recline
  20. clip — for paper
  21. clip — to cut
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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