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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: lie · vault · clip · bound · net · wind · pass · dip

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lie — to recline
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. clip — a video
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — after costs
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bound — certain
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bound — obliged
  18. clip — for paper
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. net — in sport
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pass — a permit
  23. dip — to sink
  24. vault — a safe

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