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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bass — the fish
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. mate — a partner
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mate — a friend
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bass — low music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. mate — to breed
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. land — to come down
  20. spell — a short time
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. land — a country
  23. land — ground
  24. can — a tin

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