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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. band — a music group
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. stem — to come from
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. rock — music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. capital — money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. lie — to recline
  18. capital — a city
  19. rock — a stone
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. band — a ring
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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