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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. fall — the season
  4. lean — thin
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — for digging
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. rock — music
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. plane — a tool
  17. rock — a stone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — an explosive

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