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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. key — in music
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — magic
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. track — a path
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bore — to drill
  12. track — a song
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. spell — a short time
  16. prune — to trim
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. vault — a safe
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. prune — to trim
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. key — for a lock
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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