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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 120 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
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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: clip · hide · spell · rush · deal · key · scale · spring

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. scale — in music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spring — the season
  9. key — in music
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. clip — for paper
  12. spell — magic
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. clip — to cut
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. key — the most important part
  17. scale — size or range
  18. key — for a lock
  19. deal — to handle
  20. clip — a video
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — for weighing

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