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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — letters
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. rock — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. scale — size or range
  14. scale — in music
  15. rock — a stone
  16. firm — a company
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. firm — decided
  19. prune — to trim
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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