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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — in music
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. spring — of water
  8. last — to go on
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a great time
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. ball — a dance
  14. last — final
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. spring — a coil
  18. tube — a container
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. dip — to sink
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spring — the season

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