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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rush — hurry
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. court — of a king
  6. can — a tin
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. hand — help
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — of law
  17. vault — a safe
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. court — for sport
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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