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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. firm — decided
  9. firm — steady
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lie — to recline
  16. season — in sport
  17. mate — to breed
  18. vault — a safe
  19. game — wild animals
  20. race — humankind
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. race — a contest
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mate — a partner

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