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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: rest · season · vault · board · mug · spell · wake · saw

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. mug — a face
  4. saw — the tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. mug — a cup
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a committee
  10. season — in sport
  11. rest — a break
  12. rest — what's left
  13. vault — a safe
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mug — to rob
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. spell — magic
  18. rest — what's left
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — to get on

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