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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. vault — a safe
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. object — a thing
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. object — an aim
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. object — to protest
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — to trim
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. band — a music group

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