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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · mark · cap · leaves · spell · bass · coach · vault

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bass — low music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cap — a hat
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bass — the fish
  10. cap — of ice
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. cap — a lid
  13. spell — magic
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. mark — a grade
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. vault — a safe
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. coach — a trainer
  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