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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — to recline
  6. vault — a safe
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. prune — to trim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — to trim
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. prune — the fruit

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