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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 116 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 · prune · spell · snap · content · hand · firm · coach

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  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. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. hand — in cards
  5. content — happy
  6. prune — to trim
  7. firm — a company
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. firm — decided
  10. snap — to click
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. prune — to trim
  15. firm — steady
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — letters
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. spell — a short time
  23. hand — help
  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