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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: spell · wake · object · cold · deal · temple · vault · ground

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cold — an illness
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — letters
  13. ground — a position
  14. object — to protest
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. spell — a short time
  17. object — a thing
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. object — an aim
  20. spell — magic
  21. cold — not warm
  22. vault — a safe
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — to handle

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