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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: wind · cell · calf · branch · ball · bound · fine · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ball — a dance
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. wind — moving air
  21. bound — certain
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bound — tied together
  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