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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. land — to come down
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. drill — army training
  11. tube — a container
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. drill — the tool
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — the underground
  19. land — a country
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rush — hurry
  22. drill — a practice
  23. field — farmland
  24. wave — of the sea

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