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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: vault · band · leaves · row · rock · rest · wound · mug

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. wound — an injury
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — an injury
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a ring
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rock — music
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. mug — to rob
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — what's left
  21. row — a line
  22. mug — a face
  23. rest — a break
  24. rock — a stone

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