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

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. band — a music group
  3. board — to get on
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. tube — a container
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — the sport
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. band — a ring
  15. bank — for money
  16. vault — a safe
  17. board — a committee
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. squash — to crush
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bank — of a river
  24. lie — to recline

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