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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 116 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 · chair · fall · prune · wound · nail · mark

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — tied together
  3. wound — an injury
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mark — a trace
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. bound — obliged
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fall — to drop
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — the season
  17. prune — to trim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bound — certain
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — a safe
  24. prune — the fruit

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