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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. pop — music
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. cue — a signal
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — soda
  10. cue — a hint
  11. wind — moving air
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cue — for pool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wind — moving air

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