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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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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: wind · vault · march · pass · stock · lie · rest · staff

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. vault — a safe
  3. stock — shares
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wind — moving air
  8. rest — a break
  9. stock — goods
  10. staff — employees
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. staff — employees
  21. march — the month
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. pass — a permit
  24. staff — a stick

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