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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
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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: spring · arm · bass · coach · lie · bound · vault · rock

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spring — a coil
  5. spring — of water
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. spring — the season
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bound — obliged
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the fish
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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