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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 124 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 are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. vault — a safe
  4. lean — thin
  5. bank — of a river
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — there
  8. rock — a stone
  9. present — a gift
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rock — music
  14. present — the time now
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bank — for money
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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