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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. prune — to trim
  6. spell — magic
  7. fall — to drop
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. game — a match
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fall — the season
  13. spell — letters
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ground — the earth
  16. game — wild animals
  17. prune — to trim
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ground — crushed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. plane — a tool

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