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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: pound · vault · fan · toast · face · spell · rash · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pound — a weight
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. toast — bread
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. face — part of the head
  8. face — to confront
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. vault — a safe
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spell — letters
  24. rash — a series

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