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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. rock — music
  5. spell — a short time
  6. saw — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. rock — a stone
  9. key — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — help
  14. plane — a tool
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. track — a song
  20. spell — magic
  21. track — to keep track
  22. hand — in cards
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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