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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: arm · mug · land · rule · squash · vault · net · bound

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. squash — to crush
  3. rule — government
  4. net — for catching
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bound — tied together
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rule — a law
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — a country
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — in sport
  18. bound — obliged
  19. land — ground
  20. net — after costs
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. bound — certain
  23. squash — the sport
  24. mug — a cup

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