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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. plane — a tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. key — in music
  5. clip — for paper
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. key — for a lock
  8. chip — for betting
  9. key — the most important part
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — goods
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. clip — a video
  18. club — for golf
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — to cut

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