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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — in a road
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a skill
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. shower — to wash
  9. date — the fruit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rule — a law
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — to recline
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rule — government
  22. shower — rain
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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