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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. club — for golf
  3. spell — letters
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — ground
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — a short time
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — a group
  19. object — an aim
  20. rock — music
  21. land — to come down
  22. plane — a tool
  23. land — a country
  24. patient — a sick person

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