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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: tube · leaves · bear · coach · vault · spell · board · drill

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tube — the underground
  4. board — a committee
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. tube — a container
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. drill — a practice
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bear — the animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. vault — a safe
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — letters
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. leaves — of a tree

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