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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. wound — an injury
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. spell — magic
  7. kid — to tease
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. spell — a short time
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. board — a committee
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. spell — letters
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — hurry

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