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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — the month
  6. present — there
  7. rock — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rock — a stone
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. march — the month
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. clip — to cut
  18. present — the time now
  19. clip — a video
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. march — music
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — a gift

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