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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 · mark · bass · bank · game · kid · lie · stem

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. kid — to tease
  3. mark — a trace
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bank — of a river
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. mark — a grade
  10. game — a match
  11. bank — for money
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bass — low music
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. stem — to come from
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. bank — for money
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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