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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to bend
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stock — goods
  11. track — a song
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stock — shares
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lean — thin
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. deal — to handle
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. spell — letters
  24. lie — to recline

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