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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. last — finally
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. bound — certain
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. last — to go on
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bound — obliged
  15. spell — magic
  16. plane — a tool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. spell — letters
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — wild animals
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — final
  24. bound — tied together

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