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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. spell — a short time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mine — for digging
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pit — a hole
  9. squash — the sport
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. spell — magic
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wax — to grow
  18. spell — letters
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — army training
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. mine — belonging to me

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