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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. bass — low music
  7. band — a ring
  8. vault — a safe
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bass — the fish
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. band — a music group
  16. file — a document
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. file — a line of people
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bound — certain
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a tool
  24. sharp — exactly

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