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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. drill — army training
  3. spring — of water
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. swing — in golf
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. key — in music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. spring — the season
  15. drill — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. swing — music
  20. drill — a practice
  21. key — the most important part
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. plane — a tool

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