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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pop — soda
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. ball — a dance
  12. clip — a video
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — help
  16. toast — bread
  17. clip — for paper
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. vault — a safe
  21. clip — to cut
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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