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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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Word bank
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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. spell — magic
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. plane — a tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — a phone
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. clip — a video
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. clip — for paper
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. game — a match
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. spell — a short time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. spell — letters

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