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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. plane — a tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. toast — bread
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. key — the most important part
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. race — the arms race
  9. key — in music
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — to wash
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lie — to recline
  15. key — for a lock
  16. land — a country
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. race — humankind
  21. land — ground
  22. shower — rain
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — a contest

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