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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — a stick
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. row — to paddle
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spell — letters
  8. row — a line
  9. march — the month
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — music
  12. bound — obliged
  13. staff — employees
  14. bound — tied together
  15. rock — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. staff — employees
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bound — certain
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — a tool

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