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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. spring — the season
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. plane — a tool
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rest — a break
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — a coil
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. spring — of water
  19. deal — to handle
  20. rest — what's left
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. pound — a weight
  24. key — for a lock

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