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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. pop — to visit
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. pop — soda
  19. hand — help
  20. vault — a safe
  21. pop — music
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bear — the animal

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