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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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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: nail · lie · vault · straw · ground · stand · firm · bass

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bass — low music
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ground — a position
  9. firm — a company
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lie — to recline
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. vault — a safe
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. firm — decided
  23. bass — the fish
  24. lie — an untruth

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