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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — army training
  3. land — ground
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — letters
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. hand — help
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spell — magic
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — a practice
  20. hand — in cards
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. current — electric

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