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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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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 · tear · spell · snap · rock · bay · bass · nail

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. spell — letters
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. vault — a safe
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bass — the fish
  15. tear — to rip
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bass — low music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rock — music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. snap — to click

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