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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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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: rock · bound · tube · content · wound · board · temple · ball

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. content — happy
  4. bound — tied together
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bound — obliged
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. board — to get on
  9. board — a committee
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. tube — the underground
  13. content — the amount
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rock — music
  21. ball — a great time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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