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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bound — certain
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. bound — obliged
  10. mark — a trace
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. cell — in biology
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rule — government
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — a safe
  24. rule — a law

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