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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.

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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: march · vault · lean · rash · bound · stand · net · nail

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. march — music
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. vault — a safe
  8. lean — thin
  9. rash — a series
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bound — tied together
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. march — the month
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to bend
  19. march — the month
  20. bound — certain
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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