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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rock — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. root — of a word
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — a stone
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. root — of a plant
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. root — the cause
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — to recline

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