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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · pass · game · wax · vault · squash · spell · dip

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. vault — a safe
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. game — a match
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spell — magic
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. squash — the sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. squash — to crush
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — letters
  22. game — wild animals
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. wax — to grow

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