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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — for money
  3. bass — low music
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wind — moving air
  6. field — a subject
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. bear — the animal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bank — for money
  14. wind — moving air
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — for sport
  19. bear — the animal
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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