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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 116 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
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: season · spell · rash · cabinet · vault · file · plane · charge

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. file — a tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. rash — hasty
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. file — a document
  10. spell — a short time
  11. charge — in control
  12. spell — magic
  13. file — a line of people
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. season — in sport
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. charge — a price
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. charge — electricity
  24. season — of the year

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