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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. net — for catching
  3. dip — to sink
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bound — certain
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — after costs
  10. bound — obliged
  11. drill — the tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pit — a hole
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — for golf
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  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