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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: date · fork · fine · vault · key · spell · file · rash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. spell — letters
  4. vault — a safe
  5. key — the most important part
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — in music
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a line of people
  14. spell — a short time
  15. file — a tool
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. rash — a series
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. file — a document
  23. rash — hasty
  24. spell — magic

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