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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: spring · bowl · vault · root · fan · mate · last · mug

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — the season
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. last — final
  11. spring — of water
  12. root — the cause
  13. last — to go on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — a face
  16. spring — a coil
  17. last — finally
  18. vault — a safe
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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