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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · hide · prune · vault · tube · lie · wake · pop

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pop — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. pop — soda
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. mate — a friend
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — to trim
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a partner
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. tube — a container
  21. wake — a trail
  22. mate — to breed
  23. lie — to recline
  24. hide — to keep secret

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