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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: spell · rash · vault · deal · game · land · drill · leaves

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. drill — army training
  3. land — a country
  4. rash — hasty
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. drill — the tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. land — ground
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. drill — a practice
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — a series
  17. spell — a short time
  18. vault — a safe
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. land — to come down
  24. game — a match

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