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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. kid — child
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rush — hurry
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wake — a trail
  20. bound — certain
  21. kid — to tease
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wake — before a funeral

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