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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 124 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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. stem — to come from
  3. plane — a tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. object — a thing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. object — to protest
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young 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