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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: bay · game · leaves · wound · spell · saw · vault · pound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — a safe
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — magic
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. game — a match
  16. spell — letters
  17. pound — a weight
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. saw — the tool

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