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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: vault · cap · spell · board · net · kid · mug · rush

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. cap — a hat
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — for catching
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kid — child
  11. cap — a lid
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mug — a face
  15. spell — a short time
  16. net — after costs
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. kid — to tease
  19. spell — magic
  20. board — a committee
  21. cap — of ice
  22. mug — a cup
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — to get on

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