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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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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 · squash · hide · staff · nail · cue · fall · vault

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. staff — a stick
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. fall — to drop
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. squash — to crush
  10. fall — the season
  11. cue — a signal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cue — a hint
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. lie — to recline

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