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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. chair — a leader
  9. spell — letters
  10. cue — a signal
  11. branch — a division
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — for pool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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