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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 124 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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mate — a friend
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — a tool
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. spell — a short time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. ground — crushed
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. mate — a partner
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. squash — to crush
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. spell — letters

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