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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: spell · board · roll · kid · vault · bound · craft · race

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — magic
  5. craft — a skill
  6. race — humankind
  7. kid — child
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bound — certain
  12. vault — a safe
  13. board — a committee
  14. bound — obliged
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spell — letters
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. board — to get on
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. race — the arms race
  22. craft — boats
  23. race — a contest
  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