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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. drill — army training
  4. vault — a safe
  5. game — a match
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lie — to recline
  12. game — wild animals
  13. drill — a practice
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rock — a stone
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — music
  20. fine — all right
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — the tool

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