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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. spell — letters
  4. date — the fruit
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rock — music
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. rock — a stone
  18. mouse — the animal

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