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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ball — a great time
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — a safe
  12. object — to protest
  13. fork — in a road
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — to paddle
  21. mine — for digging
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. row — a line
  24. land — to come down

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