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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 124 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. content — happy
  7. hand — help
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. vault — a safe
  16. content — the amount
  17. hand — in cards
  18. pound — a weight
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. lie — an untruth

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