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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: band · calf · saw · nail · vault · hand · bound · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a music group
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. band — a ring
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — in cards
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. saw — the tool
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. nail — on a finger

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