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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: game · spell · track · plane · rock · chest · wind · suit

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. track — a song
  4. chest — a box
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rock — music
  7. plane — a tool
  8. suit — clothes
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. suit — in cards
  13. game — a match
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chest — of your body
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rock — a stone
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. track — a path
  20. spell — magic
  21. game — wild animals
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. spell — a short time

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