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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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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: branch · lie · bulb · board · firm · vault · ruler · bass

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bulb — for light
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. bulb — for light
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. firm — steady
  12. bass — the fish
  13. branch — a division
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. lie — to recline
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. board — a committee
  20. bass — low music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — to get on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. branch — of a bank

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