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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bound — obliged
  4. bound — certain
  5. key — for a lock
  6. key — in music
  7. vault — a safe
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. bound — tied together
  10. content — the amount
  11. staff — a stick
  12. staff — employees
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — the most important part
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. content — happy
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. cell — in biology
  23. bass — low music
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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