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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. file — a line of people
  3. present — there
  4. file — a tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. swing — in golf
  7. spell — magic
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. vault — a safe
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. file — a document
  12. key — in music
  13. swing — music
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. swing — to play on
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — for pool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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