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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: court · chest · staff · bank · bay · vault · rule · lie

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. rule — a law
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. court — for sport
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. court — of a king
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bank — for money
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chest — a box
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. chest — of your body

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