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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · wake · bay · spell · plane · pitcher · rush · chest

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. plane — a tool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — magic
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. rush — hurry
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — a box
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — a tin
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. can — to be able 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