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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. key — for a lock
  4. key — in music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to drill
  7. rock — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — in music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — to handle
  18. spell — letters
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — the most important part
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. leaves — to go away

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