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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rash — hasty
  4. vault — a safe
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. key — for a lock
  10. rash — a series
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bark — to shout
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. scale — size or range
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. scale — in music
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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