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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 120 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: bound · patient · vault · squash · kick · spring · firm · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — in football
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — the season
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. firm — a company
  9. squash — to crush
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spell — magic
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — of water
  17. bound — obliged
  18. vault — a safe
  19. firm — decided
  20. bound — certain
  21. spring — a coil
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. firm — steady

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