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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · rush · plane · fine · hide · wake · stick · cell

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spell — magic
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fine — all right
  9. wake — a trail
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. spell — letters
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. plane — a tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fine — high quality
  24. plane — in geometry

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