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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. hand — help
  3. bank — of a river
  4. present — the time now
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. hand — in cards
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. key — for a lock
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. key — in music
  22. bank — for money
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — a tool

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