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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: vault · bowl · season · hide · toast · capital · craft · face

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. capital — money
  4. toast — bread
  5. face — to confront
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. capital — a city
  8. craft — boats
  9. season — in sport
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. craft — a skill
  20. vault — a safe
  21. face — part of the head
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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