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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. key — for a lock
  3. cue — a signal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. plane — a tool
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. cue — a hint
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. cue — for pool
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a music group
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rash — hasty
  17. key — the most important part
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. press — newspapers
  22. key — in music
  23. rash — a series
  24. plane — an aircraft

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