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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — letters
  4. plane — a tool
  5. club — for golf
  6. tube — a container
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — magic
  9. rest — a break
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. row — a line
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. club — for dancing
  15. board — to get on
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. tube — the underground
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — to paddle
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. board — a committee

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