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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: mate · spell · mug · cabinet · drill · face · vault · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mate — to breed
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — magic
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mug — a cup
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — the tool
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — a friend
  13. face — part of the head
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mug — to rob
  17. face — to confront
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — a safe
  20. game — a match
  21. face — to point toward
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. mate — a partner

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