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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. swing — in golf
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — army training
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fall — the season
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bear — the animal
  15. swing — music
  16. rock — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fall — to drop
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. spell — letters
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rock — to move gently

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