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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. mate — to breed
  3. chest — of your body
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — a position
  12. chest — a box
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ground — the earth
  19. chest — of your body
  20. shower — rain
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mate — a friend
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ruler — for measuring

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