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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.

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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: lie · bay · degree · calf · hide · vault · face · bass

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to point toward
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bass — low music
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. degree — from a university
  8. face — to confront
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. lie — to recline
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. degree — temperature

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