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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. vault — a safe
  8. fall — the season
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spell — a short time
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. fall — to drop
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. fall — to drop
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — letters
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bark — of a tree

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