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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. spell — letters
  3. swing — to play on
  4. object — to protest
  5. swing — music
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. cue — for pool
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rule — a law
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. plane — a tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — magic
  18. wind — moving air
  19. swing — in golf
  20. rule — government
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spell — a short time
  24. craft — boats

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