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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. key — the most important part
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. scale — size or range
  6. key — in music
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. bore — to tire
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — soda
  15. bore — to drill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. face — part of the head
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — in music

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