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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · pop · scale · kid · hide · vault · last · lie

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. last — to go on
  2. pop — soda
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. lie — to recline
  9. kid — to tease
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. scale — in music
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kid — child
  18. last — finally
  19. pop — music
  20. mate — a friend
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. last — final
  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