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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a cup
  3. key — the most important part
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. game — a match
  7. object — an aim
  8. spell — a short time
  9. vault — a safe
  10. object — to protest
  11. season — in sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — wild animals
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. object — a thing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — to rob
  22. file — a document
  23. key — in music
  24. key — for a lock

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