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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: hand · band · vault · date · stick · craft · wave · bound

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. date — the fruit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bound — certain
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — tied together
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. craft — boats
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. band — a ring
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. vault — a safe
  17. hand — in cards
  18. band — a music group
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. craft — a skill
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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