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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: drill · spell · court · snap · fall · vault · mine · leaves

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — magic
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — a short time
  5. drill — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. vault — a safe
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fall — the season
  11. drill — a practice
  12. court — of a king
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. court — of law
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — letters
  19. court — for sport
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. drill — army training
  24. snap — to click

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