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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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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 · bat · dip · lie · nail · row · suit · rule

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — the animal
  4. rule — a law
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. row — a line
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. row — to paddle
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. suit — to fit
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to sink
  24. lie — to recline

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