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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. mine — for digging
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — to recline
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. land — to come down
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. land — a country
  24. wave — with your hand

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