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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. ground — crushed
  5. spell — a short time
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — letters
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. bore — to drill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. bore — to tire
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pit — in a race
  19. plane — a tool
  20. wake — a trail
  21. pit — a hole
  22. ground — the earth
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — to cool the air

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