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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.

Make a worksheet

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: dip · bark · leaves · field · spell · band · wave · vault

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. field — for sport
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. spell — magic
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. spell — letters
  7. band — a ring
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. field — a subject
  12. field — farmland
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. dip — to sink
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. vault — a safe
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spell — a short time

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