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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 116 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: can · band · firm · pound · bound · mug · vault · clip

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — a face
  3. bound — tied together
  4. firm — steady
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bound — certain
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. band — a music group
  9. can — a tin
  10. clip — a video
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a cup
  13. vault — a safe
  14. pound — a weight
  15. firm — a company
  16. clip — to cut
  17. bound — obliged
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. clip — for paper
  24. firm — decided

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