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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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — letters
  6. bat — the animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — to keep track
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. root — the cause
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. spell — a short time
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. track — a path
  22. root — of a word
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. root — of a plant

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