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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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. object — an aim
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. object — a thing
  7. march — music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. plane — a tool
  11. lean — thin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. object — to protest
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. march — the month
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. degree — temperature
  20. march — the month
  21. degree — an amount
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rest — what's left
  24. plane — an aircraft

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