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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. ground — crushed
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. key — for a lock
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — a tool
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. ground — a position
  16. branch — a division
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. track — to keep track
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. key — the most important part
  22. ground — the earth
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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