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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. march — music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. march — the month
  10. cap — of ice
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. dip — to sink
  17. march — the month
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. cap — a hat
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. dip — to dunk

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