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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. game — a match
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. game — wild animals
  6. drill — a practice
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — letters
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — magic
  16. drill — army training
  17. craft — boats
  18. vault — a safe
  19. craft — a skill
  20. drill — the tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. sharp — clever
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. hand — part of the body

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