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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. stock — goods
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stock — shares
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. vault — a safe
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. can — to be able to
  17. swing — music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. swing — in golf
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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