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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. plane — a tool
  8. scale — in music
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. charge — in control
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — a price
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. vault — a safe
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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