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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: rule · perch · mark · sharp · deal · board · vault · spell

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spell — a short time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — to get on
  7. spell — magic
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — government
  10. spell — letters
  11. mark — a grade
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. sharp — clever
  17. board — a committee
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — the fish
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. rule — a law
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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