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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pass — a permit
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. drill — army training
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. drill — a practice

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