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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: stick · fan · vault · lie · cue · cell · fall · nail

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. lie — to recline
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in biology
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cue — a signal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fall — the season
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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