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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. kid — to tease
  3. kid — child
  4. lean — to bend
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. staff — employees
  8. saw — the tool
  9. vault — a safe
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lie — to recline
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lean — thin
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. root — the cause
  17. staff — employees
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. root — of a plant
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — a stick
  23. root — of a word
  24. ball — a great time

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