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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — after costs
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rest — a break
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. net — for catching
  8. clip — to cut
  9. net — in sport
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rush — hurry
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. clip — a video
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rest — what's left
  22. root — the cause
  23. clip — for paper
  24. root — of a word

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