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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: wound · wave · band · vault · mark · bound · fine · scale

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. mark — a trace
  6. vault — a safe
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. band — a ring
  11. mark — a grade
  12. fine — all right
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bound — tied together
  19. band — a music group
  20. scale — in music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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