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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. clip — a video
  8. key — for a lock
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. court — of a king
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. clip — for paper
  17. court — for sport
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. clip — to cut
  22. plane — a tool
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — magic

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