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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rest — a break
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. bulb — for light
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. plane — a tool
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. spell — a short time
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — magic

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