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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: vault · rash · leaves · band · pitcher · chest · kid · lie

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. band — a music group
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. chest — a box
  15. chest — of your body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. chest — of your body
  20. band — a ring
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — hasty
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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