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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — magic
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — for a lock
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pit — in a race
  11. content — happy
  12. lean — to bend
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. key — the most important part
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kid — child
  19. spell — letters
  20. lean — thin
  21. kid — to tease
  22. content — the amount
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. board — a committee

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