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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. plane — a tool
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. present — the time now
  6. march — the month
  7. key — for a lock
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spring — a coil
  10. mine — for digging
  11. key — the most important part
  12. present — a gift
  13. march — music
  14. spring — the season
  15. key — in music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. present — there
  18. spring — of water
  19. march — the month
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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