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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. hand — help
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rash — a series
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. bass — the fish
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. chair — a leader
  11. vault — a safe
  12. hand — in cards
  13. band — a ring
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. band — a music group
  22. bass — low music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. lie — an untruth

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