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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. file — a line of people
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. scale — in music
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. file — a document
  15. prune — to trim
  16. file — a tool
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. spell — letters
  20. vault — a safe
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. prune — to trim

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