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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — magic
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — from crying
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. tear — to rip
  15. rest — what's left
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spell — letters
  18. tear — from crying
  19. scale — in music
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. rock — a stone
  22. suit — to fit
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. suit — clothes

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