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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: sharp · lie · mine · swing · chest · board · vault · pound

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. swing — music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. swing — to play on
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. swing — in golf
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — to get on
  15. chest — of your body
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lie — to recline
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pound — a weight
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. sharp — clever
  23. board — a committee
  24. chest — of your body

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