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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. vault — a safe
  6. kick — in football
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. net — after costs
  10. drill — the tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — in cards
  14. lie — to recline
  15. net — for catching
  16. last — final
  17. last — to go on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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