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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. rule — government
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bass — the fish
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fine — all right
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — rain
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rule — a law
  15. bass — low music
  16. fine — high quality
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — to wash
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. stem — of a plant

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