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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. plane — a tool
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — after costs
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. net — for catching
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. spell — magic
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spell — a short time
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — the animal
  22. net — in sport
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bear — the animal

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