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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. present — there
  3. clip — for paper
  4. snap — to click
  5. present — the time now
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. clip — a video
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. clip — to cut
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mug — a cup
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. vault — a safe
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — a gift
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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