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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: staff · land · wake · roll · deal · vault · saw · march

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. deal — to handle
  3. march — the month
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. land — a country
  9. roll — a list
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. staff — employees
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. land — ground
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. saw — the tool
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. wake — a trail
  22. land — to come down
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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