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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. chip — to eat
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. spring — a coil
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — to paddle
  12. branch — a division
  13. chip — for betting
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. spring — of water
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. lie — to recline
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pit — in a race
  22. row — a line
  23. vault — a safe
  24. mine — for digging

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