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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 116 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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. key — for a lock
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — a tool
  9. last — to go on
  10. firm — steady
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — the most important part
  14. firm — decided
  15. last — final
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to tire
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. spell — letters
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — in music
  24. firm — a company

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