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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kid — child
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — ground
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. lie — to recline
  10. fall — the season
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — to drop
  14. saw — the tool
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. fall — to drop
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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