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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: present · spell · last · vault · bay · season · lie · fork

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. lie — to recline
  5. last — final
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — in sport
  11. present — a gift
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — letters
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. present — there
  17. last — finally
  18. season — of the year
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. vault — a safe
  21. fork — in a road
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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