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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 124 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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — to trim
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to tire
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bore — to drill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. prune — to trim
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. press — a publisher
  19. snap — to click
  20. lie — to recline
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. press — newspapers
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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