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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.

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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: lie · land · vault · net · cabinet · mug · rule · plane

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — a face
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. land — to come down
  7. rule — a law
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. net — in sport
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. mug — to rob
  13. plane — a tool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. vault — a safe
  17. rule — government
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. land — ground
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. net — after costs
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — a country
  24. net — for catching

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