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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: chair · spell · bound · staff · mark · row · season · vault

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mark — a grade
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. season — of the year
  8. row — a line
  9. mark — a trace
  10. staff — employees
  11. row — to paddle
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — tied together
  14. staff — employees
  15. chair — a leader
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — letters
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. season — in sport
  24. mark — to pay attention

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