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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. key — for a lock
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. content — happy
  7. chip — for betting
  8. hand — help
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. content — the amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. can — to be able to
  16. chip — to eat
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — hurry
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. key — the most important part
  22. can — a tin
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. hand — part of the body

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