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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: lean · vault · fan · jam · kid · spell · nail · row

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. lean — thin
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — magic
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — to bend
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. row — to paddle
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kid — child
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. kid — to tease
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. vault — a safe
  24. jam — a tight spot

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