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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. key — in music
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rule — government
  10. can — a tin
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. rule — a law
  13. cell — a phone
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. key — the most important part
  16. key — for a lock
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. scale — size or range
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. can — to be able to

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