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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fall — the season
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. scale — size or range
  9. spell — a short time
  10. key — the most important part
  11. current — electric
  12. fall — to drop
  13. saw — the tool
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. current — happening now
  17. key — in music
  18. rock — music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fall — to drop
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. dip — to sink

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