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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — a committee
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. plane — a tool
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a great time
  7. game — a match
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. board — to get on
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ball — a dance
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. game — wild animals
  21. fine — all right
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — magic

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