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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: dip · track · lie · staff · fall · lean · vault · arm

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. vault — a safe
  5. track — a path
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. fall — the season
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. track — to keep track
  14. lean — thin
  15. lie — to recline
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fall — to drop
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. staff — a stick
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lean — to bend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. staff — employees
  24. track — a song

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