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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 120 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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. rock — a stone
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. lie — to recline
  11. vault — a safe
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. scale — in music
  17. shower — rain
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. plane — a tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. game — a match

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