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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. row — a line
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — the season
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — to paddle
  7. spring — a coil
  8. charge — in control
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — goods
  13. key — the most important part
  14. spell — letters
  15. key — in music
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. spring — of water
  19. charge — a price
  20. stock — shares
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. fall — the season
  24. charge — electricity

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