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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. spring — a coil
  6. field — farmland
  7. cue — a hint
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cue — for pool
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — a subject
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. present — the time now
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. cue — a signal
  20. present — there
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. present — a gift
  23. vault — a safe
  24. field — for sport

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