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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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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: cell · sharp · band · vault · rule · board · lie · track

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  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. cell — in biology
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — a safe
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. track — a path
  8. lie — to recline
  9. board — to get on
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. track — a song
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — a committee
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. band — a ring
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. sharp — clever
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — an untruth
  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