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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.

Make a worksheet

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: kid · coach · dip · saw · spell · prune · mug · vault

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. saw — the tool
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mug — a cup
  6. spell — a short time
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. dip — to sink
  11. spell — letters
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. kid — to tease
  14. mug — a face
  15. prune — to trim
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. kid — child
  21. mug — to rob
  22. prune — to trim
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. dip — a sauce

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