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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. chair — a leader
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bank — for money
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the fish
  10. shower — rain
  11. bank — for money
  12. lie — to recline
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. craft — boats
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a skill

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