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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. plane — a tool
  5. charge — in control
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. root — the cause
  16. club — for dancing
  17. key — for a lock
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wound — an injury
  21. key — in music
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. row — a line

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