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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: spell · scale · cold · vault · saw · nail · bear · pass

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — in music
  3. spell — magic
  4. scale — size or range
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. cold — an illness
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cold — not warm
  21. spell — a short time
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. pass — a permit
  24. spell — letters

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