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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 120 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: key · band · deal · bound · cell · wave · rock · vault

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bound — tied together
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rock — a stone
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. key — in music
  21. bound — certain
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. band — a music group
  24. key — the most important part

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