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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — to visit
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. track — a song
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — a thing
  9. key — in music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. spell — a short time
  12. object — an aim
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a path
  15. key — for a lock
  16. pop — soda
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spell — letters
  20. track — to keep track
  21. object — to protest
  22. vault — a safe
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a document

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