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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · fall · bound · march · lean · clip · lie · coach

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bound — obliged
  7. lean — to bend
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — for paper
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. fall — the season
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. fall — to drop
  16. march — the month
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. clip — a video
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. bound — certain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. march — music

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