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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bear · vault · spell · swing · season · straw · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lean — thin
  7. swing — in golf
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. swing — music
  10. lean — to bend
  11. land — a country
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bear — the animal
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. land — ground
  21. spell — magic
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. lean — to rest against

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