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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. roll — a list
  7. roll — a cake
  8. hand — help
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — rain
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. scale — size or range
  15. scale — in music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. scale — for weighing

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