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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: vault · leaves · hand · bore · lie · ruler · wind · march

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. march — music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. march — the month
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. march — the month
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — to recline
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bore — to drill

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