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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 120 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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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — a measure
  3. pass — a permit
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. spell — letters
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. spell — magic
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. spell — a short time

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