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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.

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: rash · content · fan · tube · spell · vault · hand · leaves

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. content — the amount
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. tube — the underground
  7. vault — a safe
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. spell — letters
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. hand — in cards
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — a series
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. tube — a container
  24. leaves — of a tree

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