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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. scale — in music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ball — a great time
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. object — a thing
  16. ball — a dance
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. object — an aim
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. scale — size or range
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. spell — a short time
  23. kick — in football
  24. object — to protest

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