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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cell — a phone
  3. squash — to crush
  4. plane — a tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. key — for a lock
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — for betting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — to eat
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cell — in biology
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. cell — in a prison

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