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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 · bass · vault · bore · fall · net · mine · coach

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mine — for digging
  5. net — after costs
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bore — to drill
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bound — tied together
  17. vault — a safe
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bound — certain
  20. bass — low music
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bore — to tire
  23. net — for catching
  24. coach — a trainer

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