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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: vault · fine · band · bound · leaves · season · tube · drill

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. season — in sport
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. season — of the year
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. bound — certain
  10. drill — army training
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. tube — the underground
  13. fine — all right
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — the tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. drill — a practice
  18. fine — high quality
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a music group
  21. bound — obliged
  22. tube — a container
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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