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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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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: cue · spring · plane · squash · bowl · sharp · foot · spell

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cue — a signal
  6. spell — magic
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — a measure
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. cue — for pool
  11. spring — of water
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spell — letters
  14. plane — a tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. squash — to crush
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — a dish

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