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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. cell — in biology
  3. clip — for paper
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rash — a series
  11. clip — a video
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. court — for sport
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. court — of law
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lie — to recline
  19. court — of a king
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cell — a phone
  23. rock — to move gently
  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