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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. band — a ring
  4. lean — to bend
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. row — to paddle
  10. lean — thin
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — bread
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wound — an injury
  20. band — a music group
  21. lie — to recline
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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