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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 116 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — to recline
  4. current — of water
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. current — electric
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rush — hurry
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. snap — to click
  17. current — happening now
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — clever
  22. chair — a leader
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. vault — a safe

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