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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · deal · vault · cold · object · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cold — an illness
  4. pound — a weight
  5. cold — not warm
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. deal — to handle
  10. vault — a safe
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. object — to protest
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. object — a thing
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. object — an aim

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