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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. band — a ring
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. band — a music group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. face — to point toward
  11. spell — letters
  12. plane — a tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bear — 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