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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — to bend
  6. stock — shares
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. stock — goods
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to confront
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — an injury
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. lie — to recline
  22. face — part of the head
  23. face — to point toward
  24. vault — a safe

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