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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. track — a path
  3. drill — army training
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — a trail
  15. vault — a safe
  16. can — to be able to
  17. track — to keep track
  18. can — a tin
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wake — before a funeral

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