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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 120 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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. drill — the tool
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. band — a ring
  6. squash — the sport
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. drill — army training
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. branch — a division
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — a safe
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bound — certain
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bound — tied together
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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