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

Word bank: pound · lie · fine · row · mate · vault · wind · firm

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — a partner
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. fine — all right
  11. firm — decided
  12. row — a line
  13. mate — to breed
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — to paddle
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. firm — a company
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — high quality
  21. wind — moving air
  22. firm — steady
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. pound — to hit hard

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