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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — magic
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — a friend
  7. pop — music
  8. march — the month
  9. wake — a trail
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — letters
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pop — soda
  18. pop — to visit
  19. kick — in football
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. march — music
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mate — a partner

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