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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: bound · field · wind · vault · charge · game · net · lie

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — a subject
  4. wind — moving air
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bound — certain
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. charge — a price
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — in sport
  12. field — farmland
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — obliged
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. field — for sport
  17. vault — a safe
  18. net — after costs
  19. bound — tied together
  20. charge — electricity
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — to recline
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. charge — in control

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