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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: mouse · pound · cabinet · face · prune · vault · band · lie

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. face — to confront
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. band — a music group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to point toward
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. lie — to recline
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. band — a ring
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. pound — a weight
  24. cabinet — ministers

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