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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: spell · roll · scale · key · lie · bulb · saw · chest

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. scale — in music
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — a box
  5. roll — a list
  6. scale — size or range
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. bulb — for light
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — for a lock
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. spell — a short time
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. spell — letters
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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