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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — magic
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fine — all right
  11. vault — a safe
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fine — high quality
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ball — a dance

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