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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: perch · lie · vault · band · stick · mug · bank · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. vault — a safe
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — of a river
  8. perch — the fish
  9. mug — a cup
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. band — a ring
  13. bank — for money
  14. kid — to tease
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — child
  18. mug — to rob
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. band — a music group
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mug — a face
  23. lie — to recline
  24. band — a rubber band

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