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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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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. present — a gift
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — letters
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — magic
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — there
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. mate — a partner
  18. present — the time now

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