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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. clip — a video
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — a tool
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. spell — letters
  10. fine — high quality
  11. clip — for paper
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. staff — employees
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bat — the animal
  16. staff — a stick
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fine — all right
  22. deal — to handle
  23. clip — to cut
  24. staff — employees

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