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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. snap — to click
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ball — a dance
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. lean — to bend
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. deal — to handle
  16. hand — help
  17. chair — a leader
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. chair — a professorship

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