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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. spell — letters
  6. content — happy
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mark — a trace
  11. plane — a tool
  12. perch — the fish
  13. content — the amount
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. mark — a grade
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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