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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stick · vault · march · roll · bound · lean · tube · land

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. land — ground
  4. bound — tied together
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. land — a country
  11. march — music
  12. march — the month
  13. land — to come down
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bound — obliged
  18. march — the month
  19. roll — a cake
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. tube — a container
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to bend
  24. roll — a list

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