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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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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: sharp · last · board · mouse · rest · lie · vault · bowl

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. last — to go on
  4. last — final
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. board — to get on
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. sharp — clever
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rest — what's left
  18. vault — a safe
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. rest — a break
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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