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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.

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: bowl · plane · perch · bat · spell · hand · drill · arm

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — the tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. bat — the animal
  12. drill — a practice
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. perch — the fish
  19. hand — in cards
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — help
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. spell — letters

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