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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: band · tear · craft · bound · key · spell · bore · vault

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. craft — a skill
  4. key — in music
  5. key — for a lock
  6. vault — a safe
  7. tear — to rip
  8. craft — boats
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bore — to drill
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bound — certain
  18. band — a ring
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a music group
  22. spell — magic
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bound — tied together

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