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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — in control
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. charge — a price
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — 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