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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. key — the most important part
  3. row — to paddle
  4. key — in music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. wax — to grow
  16. firm — decided
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. firm — a company
  19. key — for a lock
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. firm — steady
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. row — a line

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