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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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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: chair · vault · prune · bank · mate · lie · can · bass

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bass — low music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. prune — to trim
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — to be able to
  8. mate — to breed
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bass — the fish
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — for money
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mate — a friend
  24. vault — a safe

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