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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. kid — child
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — to come down
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. board — a committee
  10. suit — clothes
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. land — ground
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. land — a country
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. snap — to click
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. vault — a safe
  21. board — to get on
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. kid — to tease

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