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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: lie · vault · club · prune · bass · saw · mug · last

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. bass — low music
  3. club — for golf
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. prune — to trim
  9. club — for dancing
  10. last — finally
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. vault — a safe
  16. lie — to recline
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. last — to go on
  21. last — final
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. mug — a face

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