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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: rush · capital · bass · bark · firm · lie · coach · vault

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. bass — the fish
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. firm — a company
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. capital — money
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bark — to shout
  9. firm — steady
  10. capital — a city
  11. firm — decided
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. bass — low music
  23. coach — a trainer
  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