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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. content — happy
  9. bound — tied together
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — certain
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — the amount
  19. stand — to bear
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. key — for a lock
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wound — an injury

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