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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. net — after costs
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. net — in sport
  11. roll — a cake
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pound — a weight
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. squash — the sport
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. roll — a list
  21. squash — to crush
  22. lie — to recline
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — for catching

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