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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — boats
  13. vault — a safe
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. lean — thin
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. prune — to trim
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a handicraft

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