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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: face · board · fine · vault · lean · hand · stick · bound

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fine — high quality
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — tied together
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. vault — a safe
  9. board — a committee
  10. lean — thin
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. hand — in cards
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. face — to confront
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. fine — all right
  20. bound — certain
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — part of the head
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — to bend

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