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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: rest · band · current · vault · ground · mug · bound · wound

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — a break
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mug — a cup
  7. current — electric
  8. bound — obliged
  9. vault — a safe
  10. current — of water
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mug — to rob
  13. ground — a position
  14. wound — an injury
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bound — certain
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bound — tied together
  23. ground — the earth
  24. mug — a face

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