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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. drill — the tool
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. content — the amount
  7. drill — a practice
  8. plane — a tool
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. tube — a container
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. tube — the underground
  19. content — happy
  20. spell — letters
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spell — a short time
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bay — a horse colour

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