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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fine — all right
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. plane — a tool
  12. mine — for digging
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cold — an illness
  19. spell — a short time
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fine — high quality
  22. spell — letters
  23. can — a tin
  24. foot — a measure

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