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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  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. swing — in golf
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. key — the most important part
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — rain
  9. key — in music
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — child
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. swing — music
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. prune — to trim
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. prune — to trim
  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