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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: spell · racket · row · ruler · vault · mate · plane · band

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a music group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — a line
  8. spell — a short time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mate — a partner
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. row — to paddle
  13. band — a ring
  14. vault — a safe
  15. spell — letters
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. ruler — for measuring

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