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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. track — a path
  10. sharp — clever
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — to keep track
  15. rock — music
  16. land — ground
  17. land — to come down
  18. track — a song
  19. land — a country
  20. spell — a short time
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — magic
  24. plane — in geometry

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