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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: roll · fall · vault · cell · bound · rock · pitcher · bay

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bound — certain
  4. roll — a list
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fall — the season
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fall — to drop
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. bound — tied together
  16. rock — a stone
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bound — obliged

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