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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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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: rock · wound · spell · club · vault · branch · toast · foot

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. club — for dancing
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. spell — a short time
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. wound — an injury
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. rock — music
  12. branch — a division
  13. spell — magic
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wound — an injury
  17. toast — bread
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. rock — a stone
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. club — for golf

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