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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: mug · vault · coach · march · spell · row · leaves · deal

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. leaves — of a tree
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mug — to rob
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. deal — to handle
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — a face
  14. mug — a cup
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. march — music
  20. spell — magic
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. deal — an agreement
  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