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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spring — of water
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. spell — letters
  6. pit — in a race
  7. plane — a tool
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. tube — the underground
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. spell — a short time
  17. current — electric
  18. tube — a container
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pit — a hole
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. spring — the season
  23. pound — a weight
  24. current — of water

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