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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. spell — letters
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — a short time
  7. plane — a tool
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. spell — magic
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. chip — to eat
  18. rush — hurry
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — a container
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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