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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. plane — a tool
  3. track — to keep track
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. ground — the earth
  9. key — the most important part
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — in music
  12. row — a line
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. cue — a hint
  15. track — a song
  16. row — to paddle
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. lie — to recline
  21. key — for a lock
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lie — an untruth

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