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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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bank — for money
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. cell — a phone
  9. key — the most important part
  10. firm — steady
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wind — moving air
  14. cell — in biology
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. march — the month
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. key — in music
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. plane — a tool

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