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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 · leaves · fall · hand · branch · bark · root · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. fall — to drop
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bark — to shout
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. hand — in cards
  9. root — of a word
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. root — of a plant
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fall — the season
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. vault — a safe
  21. branch — a division
  22. root — the cause
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — letters

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