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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mug — to rob
  3. lie — to recline
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. present — there
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wake — a trail
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. branch — a division
  18. mug — a face
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bass — low music
  22. present — a gift
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — a cup

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