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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
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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: fine · ball · fan · spell · object · drill · key · tear

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. object — to protest
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. drill — a practice
  6. tear — from crying
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. tear — from crying
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. object — an aim
  12. spell — magic
  13. drill — army training
  14. tear — to rip
  15. key — the most important part
  16. ball — a dance
  17. drill — the tool
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. object — a thing
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fine — high quality
  23. spell — letters
  24. ball — a round shape

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