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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. spell — letters
  5. bank — of a river
  6. charge — electricity
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. charge — a price
  13. last — final
  14. charge — in control
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cue — a hint
  19. last — to go on
  20. bank — for money
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. deal — to handle
  24. spell — a short time

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