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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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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 · coach · vault · roll · trunk · stand · jam · leaves

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bound — obliged
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. roll — a cake
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. roll — a list
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bound — certain
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. vault — a safe
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stand — to bear

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