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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
468
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: bass · lie · vault · drill · mate · field · scale · lash

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bass — low music
  3. field — a subject
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. scale — size or range
  7. mate — to breed
  8. mate — a partner
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bass — the fish
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. drill — a practice
  17. lie — to recline
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. mate — a friend
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — for sport
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. scale — in music

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