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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · rest · spring · march · swing · rash · bound · vault

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spring — of water
  3. rash — hasty
  4. swing — music
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. rest — what's left
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — the month
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. vault — a safe
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bound — certain
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. march — music
  16. spring — a coil
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. swing — to play on
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rash — a series

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