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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bound — obliged
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. bound — certain
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. foot — a measure
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bound — tied together
  19. spell — a short time
  20. scale — size or range
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. scale — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — for weighing

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