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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 116 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: stick · vault · shower · bank · capital · stand · lie · game

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a city
  8. bank — for money
  9. capital — money
  10. vault — a safe
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. shower — rain
  13. game — a match
  14. bank — of a river
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — to recline

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