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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
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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 · spell · jam · band · staff · sharp · capital · snap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. capital — money
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — clever
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. staff — employees
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. staff — employees
  13. vault — a safe
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. spell — a short time
  19. staff — a stick
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. snap — to click
  23. spell — letters
  24. capital — a city

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