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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.

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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bank — of a river
  4. spell — a short time
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bank — for money
  8. pop — soda
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. squash — the sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. scale — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spell — letters
  21. pop — music
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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