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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: kid · cell · wax · nail · vault · lie · kick · squash

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. kid — to tease
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. kid — child
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. kick — in football
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cell — in biology
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lie — to recline
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — for sculpting

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