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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: key · wave · bark · spell · bowl · vault · hide · pass

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. key — the most important part
  5. vault — a safe
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. spell — letters
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. spell — magic
  13. bark — to shout
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. spell — a short time
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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