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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. pit — a hole
  4. kid — to tease
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — a short time
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. kid — child
  11. key — in music
  12. spell — letters
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. spell — magic
  21. chip — for betting
  22. vault — a safe
  23. chip — to eat
  24. pit — in a race

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