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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · pitch · fall · hide · ball · lie · hand · rush

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. hand — in cards
  4. ball — a dance
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. fall — to drop
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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