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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. vault — a safe
  7. object — a thing
  8. face — part of the head
  9. object — an aim
  10. track — a path
  11. face — to point toward
  12. object — to protest
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. ball — a great time
  15. shower — rain
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. track — to keep track
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lie — to recline
  23. face — to confront
  24. ball — a dance

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