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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. roll — a list
  4. prune — to trim
  5. mug — to rob
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wake — a trail
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. stock — goods
  13. bound — obliged
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. stock — shares
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — certain
  20. mug — a face
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spell — letters

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