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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: vault · snap · root · bank · pop · craft · wax · spell

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — of a word
  3. bank — for money
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a skill
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — soda
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bank — of a river
  14. root — the cause
  15. vault — a safe
  16. snap — to click
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. spell — letters
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. pop — music

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