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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. key — in music
  3. charge — a price
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. clip — for paper
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — for a lock
  11. clip — a video
  12. charge — electricity
  13. cue — a hint
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. season — of the year
  19. cue — for pool
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — ground
  22. season — in sport
  23. cue — a signal
  24. land — a country

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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