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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. key — in music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a dance
  11. vault — a safe
  12. deal — to handle
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cell — in biology
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wound — an injury
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cell — a phone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — a position
  23. deal — an agreement
  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