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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. mark — a grade
  7. roll — a list
  8. bear — the animal
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. mark — a trace
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — magic
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bulb — for light
  21. row — to paddle
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — to handle
  24. roll — a cake

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