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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pop — music
  3. capital — a city
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. bore — to tire
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — to recline
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rest — a break
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — of the year
  20. capital — money
  21. season — in sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rest — what's left

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