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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 120 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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — the animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. lie — to recline
  9. key — in music
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. pop — soda
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. suit — in cards
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. plane — a tool
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. pop — to visit

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