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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
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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: march · pass · vault · hand · dip · lie · chair · spring

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. march — the month
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. spring — a coil
  8. hand — help
  9. spring — the season
  10. vault — a safe
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. march — the month
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — music
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — of water
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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