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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: ground · pitch · lie · drill · cell · toast · shower · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — rain
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. ground — crushed
  8. drill — army training
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — a safe
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cell — a phone
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. ground — the earth
  21. toast — bread
  22. ground — a position
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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