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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. race — a contest
  4. key — for a lock
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spell — magic
  10. drill — a practice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. spell — letters
  13. drill — army training
  14. mine — for digging
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. key — the most important part
  21. race — humankind
  22. race — the arms race
  23. key — in music
  24. mine — belonging to me

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