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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: pass · land · field · lie · vault · cue · row · hide

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lie — to recline
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cue — for pool
  11. row — a line
  12. pass — a permit
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — a country
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. field — for sport
  21. cue — a signal
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hide — animal skin

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