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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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Word bank
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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: board · shower · vault · chair · firm · lie · mate · suit

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. shower — to wash
  3. vault — a safe
  4. suit — to fit
  5. firm — steady
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. firm — a company
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. mate — a partner
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — a friend
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. firm — decided
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. mate — to breed

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