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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spell — magic
  5. rock — music
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ball — a dance
  9. track — a song
  10. spell — letters
  11. scale — size or range
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rock — a stone
  21. ball — a great time
  22. scale — in music
  23. track — a path
  24. spell — a short time

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