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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. key — for a lock
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lean — to bend
  7. key — in music
  8. pit — in a race
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. wake — a trail
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. key — the most important part
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. track — to keep track
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. track — a path
  17. mine — for digging
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. track — a song
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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