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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. land — a country
  3. club — for golf
  4. face — to confront
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. land — to come down
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. face — to point toward
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lie — to recline
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — there
  20. vault — a safe
  21. land — ground
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. face — part of the head
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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