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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: sharp · ground · key · last · pop · vault · row · lie

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. last — finally
  3. ground — a position
  4. key — for a lock
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — soda
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a line
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. last — to go on
  13. ground — crushed
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — a safe
  16. pop — to visit
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. row — to paddle
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. lie — to recline
  21. last — final
  22. ground — the earth
  23. sharp — clever
  24. key — in music

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