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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: lie · vault · bass · press · fall · ball · craft · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bass — low music
  4. press — to push
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — the fish
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. press — a publisher
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. fall — to drop
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. safe — a strongbox

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