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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: vault · charge · ball · hand · lie · mark · wound · net

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. net — in sport
  3. wound — an injury
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — for catching
  7. vault — a safe
  8. wound — an injury
  9. charge — electricity
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. charge — a price
  15. hand — help
  16. mark — a grade
  17. net — after costs
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. charge — in control
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hand — part of the body
  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