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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
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: fan · vault · spell · fine · arm · lash · squash · present

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. present — the time now
  5. spell — a short time
  6. squash — to crush
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — letters
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — high quality
  15. present — a gift
  16. vault — a safe
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — there
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — the vegetable

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