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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stem — to come from
  6. band — a ring
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. face — to confront
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — obliged
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bound — certain
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to point toward

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