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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. current — electric
  6. wake — a trail
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. field — for sport
  11. vault — a safe
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. current — of water
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. scale — size or range
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. current — happening now
  22. field — farmland
  23. scale — in music
  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