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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: roll · bay · lash · bear · vault · spring · land · leaves

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. vault — a safe
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spring — the season
  5. land — to come down
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — of water
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. land — ground
  13. spring — a coil
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. roll — a cake
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. roll — a list
  24. bear — the animal

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