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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. can — a tin
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kid — to tease
  7. lie — to recline
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. can — to be able to
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kid — child
  16. snap — to click
  17. suit — in cards
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — to fit
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. suit — clothes

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