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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 · roll · deal · jam · spell · coach · bound · wind

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. roll — a cake
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bound — obliged
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wind — moving air
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. spell — a short time
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. bound — certain
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — magic
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wind — to turn a key

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