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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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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 information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. object — an aim
  3. swing — to play on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — for a lock
  6. plane — a tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. swing — music
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — to protest
  12. swing — in golf
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — a short time
  15. file — a tool
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — letters
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. file — a line of people
  20. rock — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. object — a thing
  24. key — in music

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