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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · craft · bass · branch · scale · pit · lie · vault

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — in music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spring — of water
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spring — the season
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bass — low music
  17. branch — a division
  18. craft — boats
  19. pit — a hole
  20. craft — a skill
  21. vault — a safe
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lie — to recline

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