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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. pop — soda
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — a safe
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. hand — help
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — a phone
  17. branch — a division
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pop — to visit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pop — music

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