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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 124 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 · lean · bound · lie · stick · rash · cue · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rash — hasty
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. board — a committee
  10. board — to get on
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lean — to bend
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lean — thin
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rash — a series

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