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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 120 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 · stem · rock · drill · fall · band · vault · march

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. drill — army training
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. drill — a practice
  8. fall — the season
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bound — tied together
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. fall — to drop
  14. band — a ring
  15. stem — to come from
  16. band — a music group
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bound — certain
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — music
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bound — obliged
  24. rock — a stone

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