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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: kid · spell · can · season · straw · vault · bass · fork

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. vault — a safe
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. fork — in a road
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — of the year
  20. kid — to tease
  21. can — to be able to
  22. kid — child
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. can — a tin

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