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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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. spring — of water
  3. plane — a tool
  4. key — in music
  5. spring — the season
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. craft — boats
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. face — to point toward
  12. kick — in football
  13. face — to confront
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. face — part of the head
  17. craft — a skill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. key — for a lock
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. game — wild animals
  22. spring — a coil
  23. game — a match
  24. ruler — a monarch

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