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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: land · bound · lash · prune · bass · calf · vault · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. spell — letters
  4. bound — tied together
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. prune — to trim
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bound — obliged
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bass — low music
  13. land — ground
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bound — certain
  16. prune — to trim
  17. spell — magic
  18. land — a country
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — a short time
  22. land — to come down
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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