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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. key — the most important part
  4. rock — music
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. fine — all right
  7. key — for a lock
  8. current — happening now
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fine — high quality
  15. key — in music
  16. prune — to trim
  17. current — of water
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. current — electric
  20. plane — a tool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. rock — a stone
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. hand — in cards

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