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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. scale — in music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. spell — magic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. ball — a dance
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. vault — a safe
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. nail — on a finger
  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