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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 116 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: vault · fall · chair · season · spell · saw · bound · wound

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — a safe
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — magic
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — certain
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — of the year
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. season — in sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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