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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: fall · vault · lie · dip · foot · current · key · cold

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. foot — a measure
  5. key — in music
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cold — not warm
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — of water
  10. lie — to recline
  11. fall — to drop
  12. current — electric
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. cold — an illness
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — for a lock
  23. current — happening now
  24. fall — the season

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