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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 120 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
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: spell · bear · rock · root · straw · clip · vault · bound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. bound — certain
  3. root — of a word
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — a short time
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rock — a stone
  11. root — the cause
  12. bound — tied together
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. vault — a safe
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. clip — a video
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. bound — obliged
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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