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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mug — to rob
  3. spell — magic
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. court — of a king
  7. mug — a cup
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. perch — the fish
  12. scale — size or range
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. spell — letters
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wind — moving air
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. plane — a tool
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — in music
  22. wind — moving air
  23. mug — a face
  24. scale — for weighing

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