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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.

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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. spell — magic
  7. clip — a video
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. plane — a tool
  10. sharp — clever
  11. squash — the sport
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — in geometry

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