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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: bore · jam · row · band · vault · bound · lie · staff

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. band — a ring
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. vault — a safe
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bound — tied together
  13. row — to paddle
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. row — a line
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lie — to recline
  22. band — a music group
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — an untruth

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