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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — a tool
  3. land — ground
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pop — soda
  14. spell — magic
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. spell — letters
  19. pop — music
  20. key — for a lock
  21. key — in music
  22. land — a country
  23. pop — to visit
  24. land — to come down

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