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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. capital — a city
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cue — a hint
  6. swing — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. swing — to play on
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. swing — in golf
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — to recline
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. root — the cause
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. vault — a safe
  22. root — of a word
  23. cue — for pool
  24. root — of a plant

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