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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · snap · chair · bark · fall · firm · vault · last

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a leader
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. last — final
  8. bark — to shout
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — to drop
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. vault — a safe
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. last — to go on
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. lie — to recline
  18. fall — to drop
  19. last — finally
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — the season
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — steady
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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