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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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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: rock · key · nail · ball · spell · roll · tear · season

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. key — for a lock
  3. rock — a stone
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — in music
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. spell — letters
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. roll — a list
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. season — in sport
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ball — a great time
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tear — to rip
  22. spell — magic
  23. season — of the year
  24. roll — a cake

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