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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. plane — a tool
  3. band — a music group
  4. prune — to trim
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. band — a ring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. prune — to trim
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to confront
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — letters
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a leader

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