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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: spell · lie · stock · band · bulb · vault · prune · coach

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. band — a music group
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. stock — goods
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. band — a ring
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — a short time
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bulb — for light
  19. vault — a safe
  20. spell — letters
  21. stock — shares
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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