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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. hand — in cards
  3. lean — thin
  4. bank — of a river
  5. march — the month
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. hand — help
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — moving air
  11. present — a gift
  12. bank — for money
  13. march — the month
  14. present — there
  15. lie — to recline
  16. wind — moving air
  17. march — music
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. present — the time now
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. vault — a safe

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