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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spell — magic
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. sharp — clever
  11. season — of the year
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. foot — a measure
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. plane — a tool

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