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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — a hat
  11. vault — a safe
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cap — a lid
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cap — of ice
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. lie — an untruth

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