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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: cell · clip · vault · board · plane · squash · court · bound

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — for sport
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. clip — for paper
  6. cell — in biology
  7. clip — a video
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bound — tied together
  11. vault — a safe
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. squash — to crush
  16. clip — to cut
  17. cell — a phone
  18. court — of law
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. court — of a king
  24. board — a flat piece

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