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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fine — all right
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. band — a ring
  6. ground — a position
  7. band — a music group
  8. mug — to rob
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — certain
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mug — a face
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — obliged
  24. fine — high quality

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