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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: dip · vault · wound · fan · season · content · craft · spell

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. craft — boats
  5. spell — a short time
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. craft — a skill
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wound — an injury
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. content — the amount
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — magic
  17. vault — a safe
  18. content — happy
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. spell — letters
  22. wound — an injury
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. fan — to cool the air

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