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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. band — a music group
  6. spell — letters
  7. lie — to recline
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spell — magic
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. mine — for digging
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. band — a ring
  22. vault — a safe
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. tear — to rip

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