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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 120 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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. swing — music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. season — in sport
  6. spell — magic
  7. swing — to play on
  8. plane — a tool
  9. season — of the year
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. spell — letters
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — help
  15. spell — a short time
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — an aim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — to handle
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. saw — the tool
  24. hand — in cards

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