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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a cup
  3. spell — letters
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. game — wild animals
  8. spell — a short time
  9. clip — for paper
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — a skill
  20. game — a match
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — to rob
  24. plane — a tool

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