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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. last — final
  5. spell — letters
  6. present — a gift
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. last — finally
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. present — there
  12. present — the time now
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — magic
  16. bound — obliged
  17. plane — a tool
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bound — tied together
  23. last — to go on
  24. bound — certain

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