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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. dip — to dunk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. lie — to recline
  4. drill — a practice
  5. dip — to sink
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. drill — army training
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. swing — to play on
  10. kick — in football
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. swing — in golf
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. scale — size or range
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. drill — the tool
  20. scale — in music
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. swing — music
  23. vault — a safe
  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