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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. ball — a great time
  4. key — in music
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. key — for a lock
  9. prune — to trim
  10. spell — a short time
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ball — a dance
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. plane — a tool
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. kick — in football
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. branch — a division
  22. prune — to trim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. spell — letters

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