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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: pop · vault · rule · nail · bat · deal · lie · spring

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. spring — of water
  8. bat — the animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. lie — to recline
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pop — music
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. spring — a coil
  22. pop — soda
  23. spring — the season
  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