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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kid — to tease
  8. key — the most important part
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — a tool
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kid — child
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. key — in music
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. squash — to crush
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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