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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. plane — a tool
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a music group
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. band — a ring
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — the most important part
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. wake — a trail
  23. key — for a lock
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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