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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bore — to tire
  4. race — the arms race
  5. lie — to recline
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. court — of law
  12. bore — to drill
  13. current — of water
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. court — of a king
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. current — electric
  20. fork — in a road
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. current — happening now

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