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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — to be able to
  5. track — to keep track
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. squash — to crush
  11. lie — to recline
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. cap — of ice
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — a safe
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. track — a song
  21. cap — a hat
  22. track — a path
  23. squash — the sport
  24. can — a tin

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