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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — a safe
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bound — tied together
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bound — obliged
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bound — certain
  24. lie — an untruth

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