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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — magic
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mark — a trace
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cold — not warm
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. kick — in football
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. rock — music
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — letters

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