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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — for a lock
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — for catching
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — the season
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — a tool
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. drill — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. shower — to wash

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