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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 · lie · cold · nail · field · vault · sharp · lash

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — farmland
  3. cold — not warm
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cold — an illness
  20. pass — a permit
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — a safe
  23. field — for sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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