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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — a tool
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. game — a match
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. game — wild animals
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. key — for a lock
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. key — in music
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. face — to point toward
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. face — to confront
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bass — low music
  20. press — to push
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — the fish

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