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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bass — the fish
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bass — low music
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. snap — to click
  10. spell — a short time
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — a trail
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bank — of a river
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. spell — letters
  23. prune — to trim
  24. bank — for money

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