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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: drill · vault · fan · spell · mate · rule · mug · pass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mug — a face
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rule — government
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. spell — letters
  14. spell — magic
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. drill — a practice
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. drill — army training
  21. vault — a safe
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mug — to rob

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