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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. fork — in a road
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lie — to recline
  7. vault — a safe
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. season — of the year
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. clip — a video
  16. clip — to cut
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. clip — for paper
  24. season — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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