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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: vault · chair · file · calf · bass · stock · face · lie

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. file — a document
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bass — low music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stock — goods
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. file — a line of people
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bass — the fish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stock — shares
  23. file — a tool
  24. chair — a leader

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