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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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a friend
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. chip — to eat
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bank — of a river
  8. clip — to cut
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — for money
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. plane — a tool
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. clip — for paper
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. chip — for betting
  20. clip — a video
  21. spell — a short time
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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