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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: squash · vault · pass · lie · kid · plane · game · ground

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — the earth
  5. plane — a tool
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kid — to tease
  8. squash — the sport
  9. game — a match
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. ground — a position
  14. squash — to crush
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ground — crushed
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. lie — an untruth

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