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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. object — a thing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — the tool
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — to protest
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. drill — army training
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — in cards
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. drill — a practice
  24. object — an aim

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