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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. key — in music
  3. track — a path
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. key — the most important part
  7. track — a song
  8. rash — hasty
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bulb — for light
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rash — a series
  20. bulb — for light
  21. shower — to wash
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — rain

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