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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · land · root · hand · spell · key · face · wound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wound — an injury
  3. land — to come down
  4. hand — in cards
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a word
  7. face — to confront
  8. land — a country
  9. root — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. vault — a safe
  12. key — in music
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — an injury
  15. spell — magic
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. face — part of the head
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — ground
  21. face — to point toward
  22. key — for a lock
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hand — part of the 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