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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 120 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: club · lie · vault · cap · mark · spell · drill · last

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. drill — the tool
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — of ice
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cap — a hat
  13. drill — a practice
  14. last — final
  15. club — for golf
  16. mark — a trace
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. drill — army training
  22. last — to go on
  23. club — a group
  24. last — finally

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