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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 116 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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. plane — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rush — hurry
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. key — in music
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. row — a line
  12. stock — shares
  13. stock — goods
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rest — what's left
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rest — a break
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. row — to paddle

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