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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.

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: vault · scale · nail · cell · lie · object · hand · season

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — of the year
  4. lie — to recline
  5. object — an aim
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hand — in cards
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. cell — in biology
  11. scale — in music
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — help
  16. cell — a phone
  17. scale — size or range
  18. season — in sport
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. object — a thing
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. nail — for a hammer

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