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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. tube — a container
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. plane — a tool
  14. branch — a division
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kid — child
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — the underground

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