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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. key — the most important part
  3. plane — a tool
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. land — ground
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fall — the season
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. land — a country
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. game — wild animals
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. land — to come down
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. fall — to drop
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. game — a match
  22. wake — a trail
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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