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

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fall — the season
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bound — tied together
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. clip — for paper
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. march — the month
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. march — the month
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bound — certain
  18. march — music
  19. clip — a video
  20. branch — a division
  21. fall — to drop
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. clip — to cut
  24. fall — to drop

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