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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: ruler · squash · vault · kick · board · hand · lie · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  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. rock — music
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. squash — the sport
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rock — a stone
  11. hand — help
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — a committee
  15. kick — in football
  16. squash — to crush
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — in cards
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. board — to get on
  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