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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: toast · game · nail · rule · bowl · spell · vault · season

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. season — in sport
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — a safe
  12. game — wild animals
  13. spell — letters
  14. toast — bread
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. rule — government
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. spell — magic
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. spell — a short time

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