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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: race · lie · hide · vault · kid · cue · mark · cell

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. cue — a signal
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. race — a contest
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cell — a phone
  8. race — humankind
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cell — in biology
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. race — the arms race
  20. kid — to tease
  21. lie — to recline
  22. cue — a hint
  23. vault — a safe
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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