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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. plane — a tool
  3. bank — for money
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — hasty
  8. key — in music
  9. mate — a partner
  10. key — for a lock
  11. key — the most important part
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — to breed
  17. current — electric
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — of water
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — a series

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