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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 120 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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — tied together
  9. branch — a division
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. ground — a position
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — certain
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bound — obliged
  23. plane — a tool
  24. nail — on a finger

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