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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
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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: lie · face · degree · drill · season · spell · vault · fan

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. face — to confront
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. vault — a safe
  8. spell — a short time
  9. degree — from a university
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — army training
  12. season — in sport
  13. degree — temperature
  14. face — part of the head
  15. lie — to recline
  16. drill — a practice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. spell — letters
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. face — to point toward
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — of the year

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