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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 116 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. key — in music
  3. ground — the earth
  4. firm — steady
  5. key — the most important part
  6. rest — a break
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. file — a line of people
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. ground — crushed
  15. file — a tool
  16. rest — what's left
  17. firm — a company
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — decided
  21. perch — the fish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. file — a document
  24. rest — what's left

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