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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 carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. key — in music
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. game — a match
  9. rest — a break
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — from a university
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. degree — temperature
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rest — what's left
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. key — for a lock

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