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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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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: arm · bay · vault · firm · kick · lie · season · bark

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. firm — a company
  7. season — of the year
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. firm — steady
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. vault — a safe
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. firm — decided
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  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