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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: vault · coach · craft · squash · lie · kid · board · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. firm — steady
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a skill
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. kid — to tease
  9. vault — a safe
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. craft — boats
  16. lie — to recline
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. squash — to crush
  19. squash — the sport
  20. kid — child
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. board — to get on
  24. board — a committee

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