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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. season — in sport
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. spell — a short time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. season — of the year
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. spell — letters
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rush — hurry
  18. band — a music group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. spell — magic

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