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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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Word bank
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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — the most important part
  3. key — in music
  4. capital — a city
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. press — a publisher
  10. tear — from crying
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — to push
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. capital — money
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tear — to rip
  21. press — newspapers
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. capital — a big letter

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