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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rock — music
  6. row — to paddle
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. hand — in cards
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. plane — a tool
  21. key — in music
  22. row — a line
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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