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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: safe · vault · ground · spell · lean · dip · scale · wind

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. scale — in music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ground — a position
  6. spell — magic
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. lean — to bend
  16. wind — moving air
  17. ground — crushed
  18. ground — the earth
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. lean — thin
  22. wind — moving air
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. scale — size or range

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