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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. vault — a safe
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. saw — the tool
  5. game — wild animals
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a match
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — obliged
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. hand — in cards
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. hand — help
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — in music
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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