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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. face — to point toward
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spell — a short time
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. plane — a tool
  10. mug — a cup
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mug — a face
  20. face — to confront
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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