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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bound — certain
  4. swing — to play on
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bass — low music
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bound — tied together
  11. wound — an injury
  12. swing — music
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bass — the fish
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wake — a trail
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wound — an injury
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bound — obliged

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