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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rush — hurry
  7. race — humankind
  8. key — the most important part
  9. wax — to grow
  10. key — in music
  11. bear — the animal
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. race — a contest
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. sharp — clever
  17. wound — an injury
  18. race — the arms race
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. wound — an injury
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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