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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rock — music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lie — to recline
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. rock — a stone
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. ground — a position
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. cabinet — ministers

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