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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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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: bound · vault · field · bass · arm · suit · lean · wound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — certain
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — thin
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — a safe
  10. field — farmland
  11. bass — low music
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. field — for sport
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. suit — clothes
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bound — tied together

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