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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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Word bank
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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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. hand — in cards
  3. kick — in football
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — help
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. key — in music
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — music
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rock — a stone
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — from crying
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — for a lock

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