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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. club — for golf
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. bound — obliged
  7. key — the most important part
  8. plane — a tool
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rest — what's left
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bound — tied together
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. rest — a break
  17. key — in music
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bound — certain
  21. club — a group
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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