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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: face · vault · roll · pass · key · coach · pound · spell

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. spell — magic
  3. face — to point toward
  4. vault — a safe
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — the most important part
  13. face — to confront
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. roll — a cake
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. roll — a list
  20. face — part of the head
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. pound — to hit hard

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