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

Word bank: cell · rock · drill · spell · stick · vault · perch · hide

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. spell — magic
  6. vault — a safe
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in biology
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rock — a stone
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rock — music
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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