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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — letters
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. object — to protest
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — to crush
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — the sport
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. rock — music
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — to recline
  23. rock — a stone
  24. lie — an untruth

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