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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. key — the most important part
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. fork — in a road
  7. band — a music group
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. prune — to trim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. band — a ring
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mate — a partner
  18. prune — to trim
  19. cell — in biology
  20. mate — a friend
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — in music
  24. bear — the animal

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