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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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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: bound · kid · bank · vault · stick · tube · cell · ball

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. tube — the underground
  3. cell — in biology
  4. bank — for money
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bank — for money
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. bank — of a river
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — child
  19. cell — a phone
  20. ball — a dance
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bound — obliged
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. tube — a container

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