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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: vault · net · jam · kid · staff · root · lie · bay

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. root — of a word
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. vault — a safe
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. root — the cause
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. net — after costs
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. net — in sport
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. staff — employees
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — child
  21. net — for catching
  22. kid — to tease
  23. root — of a plant
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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