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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 was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. spell — magic
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — thin
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. spell — letters
  15. bear — the animal
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — hurry
  24. bear — to put up with

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