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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 · fan · bore · saw · firm · vault · temple · can

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — the tool
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. can — to be able to
  7. can — a tin
  8. firm — steady
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bore — to drill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spell — a short time
  22. spell — letters
  23. vault — a safe
  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