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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. tube — a container
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — in golf
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — crushed
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. swing — music
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rash — a series
  17. key — for a lock
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to point toward
  20. key — in music
  21. plane — a tool
  22. face — to confront
  23. rash — hasty
  24. leaves — of a tree

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