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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fall · vault · band · sharp · tube · lie · firm · field

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. firm — steady
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. band — a ring
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. fall — the season
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — for sport
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fall — to drop
  13. firm — decided
  14. sharp — clever
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a music group
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. firm — a company
  19. lie — to recline
  20. field — a subject
  21. vault — a safe
  22. tube — the underground
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. field — farmland

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