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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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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 · can · spell · cap · wind · wake · snap · saw

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. snap — to click
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. spell — magic
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cap — a hat
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. saw — the tool
  15. vault — a safe
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. cap — a lid
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — letters
  23. wake — a trail
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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