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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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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: leaves · bay · fall · court · band · vault · swing · spell

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spell — magic
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. band — a ring
  7. spell — letters
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. swing — in golf
  11. band — a music group
  12. vault — a safe
  13. court — of a king
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of law
  16. fall — the season
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. court — for sport
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. fall — to drop

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