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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. land — to come down
  3. sharp — clever
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. key — in music
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. squash — to crush
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. land — a country
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. lie — to recline
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — a tool
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — ground
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. squash — the sport
  24. key — for a lock

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