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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kid — child
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. vault — a safe
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spell — letters
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. bowl — a football final

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