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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: board · chair · chest · fork · craft · vault · spell · fall

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chest — of your body
  3. fork — in a road
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — letters
  6. chest — of your body
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. chest — a box
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. craft — a skill
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — a leader
  21. vault — a safe
  22. board — to get on
  23. board — a committee
  24. fall — the season

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