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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a great time
  7. cap — a lid
  8. clip — for paper
  9. band — a ring
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cap — a hat
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. key — for a lock
  15. clip — a video
  16. band — a music group
  17. ball — a dance
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. wake — a trail
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — a tool

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