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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a document
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. cap — a lid
  10. land — a country
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. land — ground
  13. prune — to trim
  14. land — to come down
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a tool
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. cap — of ice
  20. chair — a leader
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lie — to recline

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