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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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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: vault · current · sharp · lean · bowl · tear · lie · march

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. tear — from crying
  3. vault — a safe
  4. tear — to rip
  5. march — the month
  6. march — music
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — thin
  9. current — electric
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. march — the month
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lean — to bend
  14. tear — from crying
  15. current — of water
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. current — happening now
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bowl — a dish

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