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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — a safe
  6. land — a country
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. key — in music
  9. land — ground
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bass — low music
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. land — to come down
  18. key — the most important part
  19. field — for sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bass — the fish
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. deal — to handle
  24. field — a subject

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