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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. charge — in control
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. foot — a measure
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bark — to shout
  12. spell — magic
  13. charge — a price
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. rush — hurry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — a short time

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