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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. spell — a short time
  3. rush — hurry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — letters
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. mark — a grade
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. mark — a trace
  16. plane — a tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — magic

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