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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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. chip — for betting
  7. branch — a division
  8. ball — a dance
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. squash — to crush
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — the sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chip — to eat
  24. lie — an untruth

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