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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: content · branch · stand · current · vault · bound · wave · lie

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. vault — a safe
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bound — certain
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bound — obliged
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. content — the amount
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. current — of water

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