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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. drill — a practice
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. key — the most important part
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. capital — a city
  10. spell — a short time
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. capital — money
  13. drill — army training
  14. band — a music group
  15. drill — the tool
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. cue — for pool
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. band — a ring
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. cue — a hint

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