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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chip — to eat
  3. present — there
  4. present — a gift
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — for betting
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cell — a phone
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spell — letters
  18. cell — in biology
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. present — the time now
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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