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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — an injury
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — a tool
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. toast — bread
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. key — in music
  16. march — music
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. key — the most important part
  20. march — the month
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. branch — a division
  24. pass — a permit

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