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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rest — a break
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — for light
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — a subject
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. club — for golf
  14. roll — a list
  15. field — for sport
  16. date — the fruit
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rest — what's left
  19. club — for dancing
  20. plane — a tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. club — a group
  23. spell — letters
  24. roll — on a roll

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