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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: snap · net · hide · vault · staff · mine · lie · leaves

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. mine — an explosive
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. mine — for digging
  6. staff — employees
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. net — for catching
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to click
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. net — after costs
  17. staff — a stick
  18. lie — to recline
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. net — in sport
  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