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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. face — to point toward
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. lie — to recline
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. drill — the tool
  19. spell — letters
  20. drill — a practice
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pit — in a race
  23. vault — a safe
  24. spell — magic

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