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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bound — tied together
  5. track — a song
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — a law
  8. rush — hurry
  9. plane — a tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. spell — magic
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. spell — a short time
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bound — certain
  17. rule — government
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fork — in a road
  20. spell — letters
  21. track — a path
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. ball — a great time
  24. rush — a thrill

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