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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. cap — a hat
  4. row — a line
  5. cap — a lid
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lie — to recline
  11. land — a country
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mark — a trace
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bulb — for light
  22. land — ground
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mark — to pay attention

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