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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
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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: spell · vault · club · spring · chair · mark · hand · stand

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. hand — help
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. club — a group
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. spell — letters
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. club — for golf
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. spring — a coil

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