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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. track — a path
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. key — for a lock
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. prune — to trim
  7. plane — a tool
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — in music
  10. track — to keep track
  11. face — part of the head
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. face — to confront
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a song
  19. race — a contest
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. race — humankind
  24. can — a tin

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