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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. capital — a city
  3. race — humankind
  4. spell — magic
  5. drill — army training
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. race — the arms race
  10. spell — letters
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — a safe
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. net — in sport
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — money
  17. spell — a short time
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lie — to recline
  21. net — after costs
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. race — a contest
  24. drill — the tool

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