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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: field · arm · straw · bound · spell · vault · season · suit

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. field — for sport
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. spell — magic
  8. bound — obliged
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bound — certain
  11. field — farmland
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. field — a subject
  14. spell — letters
  15. bound — tied together
  16. season — of the year
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. spell — a short time
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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