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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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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. fine — high quality
  3. can — a tin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. fine — all right
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. can — a tin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mate — a partner
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. race — a contest
  20. chair — a leader
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. key — in music
  24. race — humankind

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