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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. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  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. vault — in gymnastics
  2. capital — money
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. capital — a city
  10. bank — of a river
  11. shower — to wash
  12. vault — a safe
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — to recline
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. board — a committee
  18. shower — rain
  19. bank — for money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  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