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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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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: fan · bear · pitcher · lie · stick · chair · rest · vault

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chair — a leader
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bear — the animal
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. lie — to recline
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. rest — a break
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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