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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: vault · hand · spell · saw · game · trunk · dip · jam

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. game — a match
  5. saw — the tool
  6. hand — in cards
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. vault — a safe
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hand — help
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. saw — the tool
  17. spell — magic
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. dip — to sink
  24. trunk — of a car

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