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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. file — a line of people
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. deal — to handle
  9. file — a tool
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. craft — boats
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — a safe
  22. craft — a skill
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. file — a document

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