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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a ring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. rock — music
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bound — certain
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rock — a stone
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together

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