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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. content — happy
  6. drill — a practice
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — the most important part
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — soda
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. key — in music
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. drill — the tool
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. content — the amount
  20. vault — a safe
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — to visit
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. drill — army training

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