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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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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: lie · trunk · chest · fine · vault · jam · bay · patient

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fine — all right
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. vault — a safe
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fine — high quality
  21. chest — of your body
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. chest — a box
  24. chest — of your body

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