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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. drill — the tool
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pound — a weight
  6. drill — a practice
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. face — to confront
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. vault — a safe
  14. lean — thin
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. drill — army training
  19. face — to point toward
  20. lean — to bend
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. face — part of the head

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