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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: spell · prune · deal · fall · mate · dip · saw · vault

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. mate — a friend
  4. saw — the tool
  5. mate — to breed
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. deal — to handle
  10. fall — to drop
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. mate — a partner
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. spell — letters
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — the season
  20. dip — to sink
  21. spell — magic
  22. vault — a safe
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. deal — a big deal

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