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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 · track · object · spell · jam · straw · chest · spring

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. chest — a box
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — to protest
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. object — a thing
  10. track — to keep track
  11. object — an aim
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. vault — a safe
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — of water
  17. chest — of your body
  18. track — a song
  19. spell — magic
  20. spring — a coil
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. spell — letters
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chest — of your body

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