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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — a match
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. fall — to drop
  7. spell — magic
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fall — the season
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — letters

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