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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: mark · vault · cold · cabinet · bat · bound · root · spell

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mark — a trace
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. spell — letters
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — a safe
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cold — not warm
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. bound — tied together
  15. cold — an illness
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. spell — magic
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. mark — a grade
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. root — the cause

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