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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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mate — a partner
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. clip — to cut
  8. foot — a measure
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. swing — music
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mate — a friend
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. prune — to trim
  21. mate — to breed
  22. swing — in golf
  23. clip — a video
  24. swing — to play on

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