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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. kid — to tease
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — a safe
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — for light
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mark — a grade

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