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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: vault · fine · spell · snap · shower · date · fan · scale

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. vault — a safe
  5. fine — high quality
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — in music
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. snap — to click
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. fine — all right
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. scale — size or range
  20. shower — rain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. shower — to wash
  23. date — the fruit
  24. fan — to cool the air

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