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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: bound · firm · vault · clip · land · calf · pass · fall

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. land — to come down
  6. bound — certain
  7. clip — for paper
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. clip — to cut
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — steady
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. fall — the season
  22. land — a country
  23. clip — a video
  24. bound — tied together

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