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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 116 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: face · cue · vault · pound · lie · spell · season · clip

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. lie — to recline
  3. face — to confront
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. season — of the year
  11. spell — magic
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — for pool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — in sport
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. clip — to cut
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. pound — a weight

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