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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: tear · key · suit · scale · cell · spell · roll · land

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. land — a country
  3. scale — in music
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. key — in music
  7. spell — magic
  8. scale — size or range
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. suit — in cards
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cell — a phone
  13. tear — from crying
  14. key — the most important part
  15. cell — in biology
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. roll — a list
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a cake
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. key — for a lock
  23. tear — from crying
  24. tear — to rip

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