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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. charge — electricity
  3. rush — hurry
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. vault — a safe
  6. charge — in control
  7. can — to be able to
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. can — a tin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — to tease
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. charge — a price
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kid — child
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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