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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 116 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: bound · vault · cold · wax · cue · spring · pop · pass

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spring — the season
  3. bound — obliged
  4. pop — music
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pop — soda
  8. vault — a safe
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bound — certain
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. spring — of water
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cue — a signal
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cue — a hint
  20. cue — for pool
  21. pop — to visit
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cold — not warm
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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