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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: mate · roll · cap · cue · rest · lie · vault · tear

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. tear — from crying
  5. cue — for pool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cap — of ice
  12. roll — a cake
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a lid
  16. rest — what's left
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mate — to breed
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. rest — a break
  22. cap — a hat
  23. mate — a partner
  24. cue — a hint

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