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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. spell — magic
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cell — in biology
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. bass — low music
  18. spell — letters
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. cell — a phone
  21. spell — a short time
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bass — the fish
  24. squash — the vegetable

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