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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. key — in music
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. key — the most important part
  5. bat — the animal
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. deal — to handle
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. plane — a tool
  11. capital — a city
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. capital — money
  14. vault — a safe
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — for a lock
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. lie — to recline

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