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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rock — music
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rash — a series
  7. board — to get on
  8. rash — hasty
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spell — letters
  14. board — a committee
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mate — a friend
  19. plane — a tool
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. rock — a stone
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — part of the body

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