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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ground — a position
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. plane — a tool
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. rash — hasty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — a series
  24. fork — in a road

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