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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. object — an aim
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wind — moving air
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. object — a thing
  10. last — finally
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — to go on
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. last — final

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