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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: can · pass · pound · field · face · vault · bore · lie

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — farmland
  3. pass — a permit
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — to recline
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. face — to confront
  13. bore — to drill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. pound — a weight
  17. can — a tin
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — for sport
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. lie — an untruth

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