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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: spell · bound · squash · game · row · calf · wake · vault

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. spell — a short time
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — to paddle
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. row — a line
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — letters
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. game — a match
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bound — obliged
  22. game — wild animals
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — the sport

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