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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: lie · track · squash · kid · bore · bound · vault · rash

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. bound — obliged
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — certain
  10. kid — child
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. rash — a series
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. lie — to recline
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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