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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. plane — a tool
  3. object — an aim
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — in a road
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mark — a trace
  9. key — the most important part
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. key — for a lock
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rush — hurry
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. key — in music
  23. object — a thing
  24. mark — a grade

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