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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 116 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 · calf · spell · band · net · coach · bore · bass

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a music group
  3. vault — a safe
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. net — after costs
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — for catching
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bass — the fish
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. net — in sport
  22. bass — low music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. band — a rubber band

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