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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mate — a partner
  3. vault — a safe
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mate — to breed
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. bank — for money
  11. mate — a friend
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. lie — to recline
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bank — for money
  18. chair — a professorship

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