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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. can — a tin
  4. spell — letters
  5. rest — what's left
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rest — what's left
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. staff — employees
  11. pound — a weight
  12. spell — magic
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. rest — a break
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. can — to be able to
  20. staff — employees
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. bowl — a dish

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