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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: lie · clip · rush · march · field · spring · vault · fan

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. march — the month
  6. field — for sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. march — music
  11. field — farmland
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spring — a coil
  17. clip — a video
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. field — a subject
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. lie — to recline
  22. march — the month
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rush — hurry

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