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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 124 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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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. shower — rain
  4. fine — high quality
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. shower — to wash
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. fine — all right
  24. pitcher — a jug

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