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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: perch · rush · wind · lean · bound · vault · fall · can

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — a safe
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fall — the season
  5. rush — hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — a tin
  8. lean — to bend
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wind — moving air
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. lean — thin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — tied together
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. bound — certain
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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