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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. plane — a tool
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mate — a partner
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — finally
  8. mug — a face
  9. spell — magic
  10. board — a committee
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mate — a friend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — hurry
  16. mate — to breed
  17. spell — letters
  18. mug — a cup
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. swing — music
  22. last — final
  23. board — to get on
  24. spell — a short time

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