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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. spell — magic
  5. file — a tool
  6. pop — music
  7. pit — in a race
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pit — a hole
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. file — a line of people
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pop — soda
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. file — a document
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. pop — to visit
  21. plane — a tool
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. spell — a short time

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