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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cell — a phone
  5. vault — a safe
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. spell — letters
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stock — shares
  10. file — a document
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. craft — boats
  13. lie — to recline
  14. file — a line of people
  15. mark — a grade
  16. file — a tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. spell — magic
  23. cell — in biology
  24. stock — goods

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