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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. last — final
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. last — finally
  7. spell — letters
  8. ball — a dance
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. key — in music
  11. key — the most important part
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. branch — a division
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. key — for a lock
  21. vault — a safe
  22. last — to go on
  23. snap — to click
  24. spell — magic

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