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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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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: wind · mate · lie · charge · vault · squash · row · dip

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. charge — electricity
  6. wind — moving air
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — a safe
  9. row — a line
  10. dip — to sink
  11. charge — a price
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mate — a partner
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — to crush
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. wind — moving air
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. charge — in control
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. row — to paddle
  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