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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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — of a king
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. spell — a short time
  9. court — of law
  10. spell — letters
  11. saw — the tool
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mine — for digging
  15. court — for sport
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. vault — a safe
  21. saw — the tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. straw — a straw man

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