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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. perch — the fish
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hand — help
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — for money
  7. game — wild animals
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. key — in music
  10. rash — hasty
  11. key — the most important part
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. rash — a series
  14. game — a match
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. hand — in cards
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. plane — a tool
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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