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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: cap · spring · spell · tube · vault · row · jam · can

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. spring — a coil
  3. cap — a lid
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. tube — a container
  12. cap — a hat
  13. tube — the underground
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. row — to paddle
  16. spell — letters
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. spell — a short time
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. row — a line
  22. spell — magic
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — of ice

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