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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mate — to breed
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. mate — a partner
  9. spell — letters
  10. fork — in a road
  11. mate — a friend
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. cell — in biology
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pound — a weight

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