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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: bound · key · lean · vault · leaves · stick · ruler · wake

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. key — for a lock
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lean — thin
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. key — the most important part
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bound — tied together
  18. key — in music
  19. bound — certain
  20. wake — a trail
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. bound — obliged

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