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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: band · content · dip · row · fall · spell · board · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. fall — the season
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. band — a music group
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to sink
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. board — to get on
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. content — the amount
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. row — a line
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fall — to drop
  20. band — a ring
  21. spell — magic
  22. content — happy
  23. spell — letters
  24. board — a committee

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