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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: saw · lie · chest · prune · leaves · cap · rock · vault

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a lid
  6. vault — a safe
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. chest — a box
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — music
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. rock — a stone
  23. chest — of your body
  24. prune — to trim

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