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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: lie · mate · vault · spell · club · net · content · craft

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. club — for golf
  7. net — for catching
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. vault — a safe
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a skill
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — the amount
  17. club — a group
  18. net — in sport
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. content — happy
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mate — a partner

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