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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pass — a permit
  7. drill — army training
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spell — magic
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bulb — for light
  20. spell — letters
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ruler — for measuring

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