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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: lie · current · vault · cold · dip · pitcher · nail · present

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. present — there
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. current — of water
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — a gift
  7. vault — a safe
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. current — electric
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cold — not warm
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. current — happening now
  19. present — the time now
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. nail — for a hammer

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