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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 120 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bat — the animal
  4. lean — thin
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. root — of a word
  7. root — the cause
  8. drill — the tool
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lean — to bend
  12. drill — army training
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. club — a group
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. club — for golf
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bat — in an idiom

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