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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. swing — in golf
  5. season — of the year
  6. wound — an injury
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. plane — a tool
  9. swing — music
  10. key — in music
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. key — the most important part
  13. swing — to play on
  14. season — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. fan — to cool the air

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