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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 124 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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mate — a partner
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. vault — a safe
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mate — a friend
  20. ground — crushed
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. ground — the earth
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  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