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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: firm · season · pop · plane · face · spell · row · vault

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — in sport
  4. pop — soda
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. row — a line
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. face — part of the head
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. firm — a company
  11. vault — a safe
  12. spell — magic
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — letters
  15. pop — to visit
  16. season — of the year
  17. face — to point toward
  18. firm — decided
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. firm — steady
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — to add flavour

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