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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. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. hand — help
  15. vault — a safe
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. shower — rain
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — letters
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — a short time

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