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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: clip · bore · arm · bound · content · pound · vault · ruler

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — happy
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. content — the amount
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — certain
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. clip — a video
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pound — a weight

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