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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 116 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. club — for golf
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. lean — thin
  17. shower — rain
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. game — a match
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. branch — a division
  24. lean — to bend

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