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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 116 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: vault · row · lie · mark · stem · band · net · saw

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. band — a ring
  6. mark — a trace
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. net — for catching
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stem — to come from
  18. net — in sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. net — after costs
  24. mark — to pay attention

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