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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · rule · march · vault · bound · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. rule — government
  3. march — the month
  4. toast — bread
  5. bound — certain
  6. march — the month
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bound — tied together
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. rule — a law
  12. chair — a leader
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — obliged
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. march — music
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. chair — to sit on

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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