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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. plane — a tool
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cold — an illness
  10. spell — letters
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — high quality
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — music
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cold — not warm
  19. rush — hurry
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. spell — magic
  24. rush — a thrill

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