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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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 — to recline
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bulb — for light
  4. drill — army training
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. prune — to trim
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. chest — a box
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. drill — a practice
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — a safe
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. chest — of your body
  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