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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 120 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: mate · rock · fall · spell · vault · bear · straw · can

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. vault — a safe
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — magic
  18. can — a tin
  19. rock — music
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. can — to be able to
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — to move gently

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