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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. lean — to bend
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. key — the most important part
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. row — a line
  9. spell — a short time
  10. squash — the sport
  11. spell — magic
  12. squash — to crush
  13. row — to paddle
  14. spell — letters
  15. chip — for betting
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. plane — a tool
  18. key — for a lock
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. key — in music
  21. cue — for pool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — a signal

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