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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. pop — music
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spell — letters
  10. plane — a tool
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. last — to go on
  13. mark — a grade
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — certain
  16. bulb — for light
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. last — final
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. pop — to visit

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