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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. can — to be able to
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. game — wild animals
  5. plane — a tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. club — for dancing
  8. track — a path
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. saw — the tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. snap — to click
  15. club — for golf
  16. club — a group
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. key — for a lock
  21. track — to keep track
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — in music

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