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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bulb — for light
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — of the year
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. row — to paddle
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. charge — electricity
  14. season — in sport
  15. spell — a short time
  16. charge — in control
  17. bulb — for light
  18. charge — a price
  19. kid — child
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. plane — an aircraft

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