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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. wound — an injury
  5. plane — a tool
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. board — to get on
  8. bank — for money
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — help
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — of a river
  17. hand — in cards
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. board — a committee
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. spell — letters
  24. key — in music

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