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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. key — the most important part
  3. degree — an amount
  4. suit — to fit
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — low music
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. key — in music
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. degree — from a university
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. game — wild animals
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. key — for a lock
  18. game — a match
  19. degree — temperature
  20. suit — clothes
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — the fish
  23. row — a line
  24. plane — in geometry

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