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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: vault · roll · saw · coach · bowl · chair · hand · bulb

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. saw — the tool
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — a safe
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bulb — for light
  13. roll — a list
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. roll — a cake
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hand — help
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bulb — for light
  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