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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. game — a match
  3. file — a document
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bank — of a river
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. file — a tool
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bound — certain
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bank — for money
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. band — a music group
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. file — a line of people
  22. band — a ring
  23. bank — for money
  24. bound — tied together

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