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

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. roll — a list
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — to paddle
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. content — happy
  7. spell — magic
  8. band — a ring
  9. bound — tied together
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — letters
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bound — obliged
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. vault — a safe
  19. band — a music group
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bound — certain
  22. content — the amount
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. roll — a cake

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