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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — what's left
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rest — a break
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pop — to visit
  12. field — farmland
  13. press — to push
  14. pop — music
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bulb — for light
  18. branch — a division
  19. field — for sport
  20. key — for a lock
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. key — in music
  24. plane — an aircraft

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