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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
468
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 · pass · bowl · field · cell · rush · can · vault

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — hurry
  9. can — to be able to
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spell — a short time
  15. vault — a safe
  16. field — for sport
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. field — farmland
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. cell — in biology
  23. can — a tin
  24. pass — a permit

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