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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — magic
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. spell — letters
  11. rock — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pop — music
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. mouse — the animal

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