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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 120 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — to paddle
  3. mark — a trace
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. row — a line
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mug — a face
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bound — tied together
  19. mug — to rob
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. capital — money
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spell — a short time

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