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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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Word bank
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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: stick · lie · hide · racket · rash · lean · bore · vault

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. rash — a series
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rash — hasty
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lean — thin
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. racket — for tennis

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