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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.

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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: fan · capital · mark · safe · wave · race · vault · spell

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. spell — a short time
  3. race — humankind
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. spell — letters
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. spell — magic
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. capital — a city
  15. race — a contest
  16. capital — money
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. race — the arms race
  21. vault — a safe
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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