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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — in music
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. firm — decided
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. game — a match
  12. key — for a lock
  13. plane — a tool
  14. game — wild animals
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — the most important part
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. firm — steady
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — to recline

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