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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bulb — for light
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. key — the most important part
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mine — for digging
  16. key — for a lock
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. wake — a trail
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. ruler — for measuring

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