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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 piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chest — a box
  3. rash — a series
  4. clip — a video
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. chest — of your body
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ball — a great time
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ball — a dance
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chest — of your body
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rush — hurry
  18. clip — to cut
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — for a lock
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. key — the most important part

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