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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. lie — an untruth
  2. hand — help
  3. rock — music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — a phone
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pit — in a race
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pit — a hole
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. rock — a stone
  18. hand — in cards
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — music
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pop — soda
  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