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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. content — the amount
  7. spell — letters
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — to handle
  12. content — happy
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spell — magic
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. band — a music group
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. band — a ring
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. band — a rubber band

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