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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. key — the most important part
  3. tube — a container
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. plane — a tool
  11. club — for golf
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. key — in music
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. club — a group
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — to keep secret

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