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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. tube — a container
  3. cell — in biology
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. net — for catching
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. branch — a division
  9. tube — the underground
  10. cell — a phone
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. club — a group
  15. net — after costs
  16. club — for dancing
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bound — obliged
  22. wound — an injury
  23. club — for golf
  24. net — in sport

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