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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bulb · net · chair · bound · wound · wave · court · vault

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. net — for catching
  5. court — of a king
  6. vault — a safe
  7. chair — a leader
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of law
  14. net — after costs
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. bound — obliged
  17. court — for sport
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bound — tied together
  21. net — in sport
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. wound — an injury

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