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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: cabinet · row · vault · land · spell · ball · wake · bulb

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. vault — a safe
  7. land — a country
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. land — to come down
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. land — ground
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — a line
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. spell — letters
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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