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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — a cup
  3. band — a music group
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. net — after costs
  7. race — a contest
  8. firm — a company
  9. bank — of a river
  10. net — in sport
  11. mug — a face
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. firm — decided
  14. mug — to rob
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bank — for money
  17. firm — steady
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a ring
  22. race — humankind
  23. net — for catching
  24. plane — a tool

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