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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. dip — to sink
  4. band — a ring
  5. wound — an injury
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. row — to paddle
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — obliged
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. row — a line
  17. band — a music group
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — certain
  21. rush — hurry
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. wound — an injury

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