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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. spring — the season
  4. march — the month
  5. spring — a coil
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. lie — to recline
  8. march — music
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. sharp — clever
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. vault — a safe
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pit — in a race
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. rock — music
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mark — a trace
  24. spring — of water

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