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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kid — child
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lie — to recline
  7. shower — to wash
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — a safe
  10. face — to point toward
  11. shower — rain
  12. kid — to tease
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. cap — of ice
  17. face — to confront
  18. cap — a hat
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. face — part of the head
  24. trunk — of a car

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