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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. swing — to play on
  3. swing — music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — a tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bulb — for light
  18. vault — a safe
  19. pit — in a race
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. spell — magic
  24. rash — a series

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