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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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. ground — the earth
  3. key — the most important part
  4. tube — the underground
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. ground — crushed
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. plane — a tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bulb — for light
  15. march — the month
  16. spell — letters
  17. march — the month
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — a container
  20. ground — a position
  21. march — music
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. lash — an eyelash

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